Climate Budgeting Outcomes (1)

Len Duvall: What targets have been set for improvements to the climate actions of the GLA and its functional bodies as a result of climate budgeting?

The Mayor: A key objective of the Climate Budget is for the GLA Group to identify all measures needed to achieve net zero emissions for their estates and fleets by 2030. The Group will outline these measures in their 2023-24 budget submissions, splitting them between those funded in the 2023-24 budget and those measures currently unfunded. Following an evaluation of the budget process this year, I will take a view as to whether I should set the Group emission reduction targets from measures included in the 2024-25 climate budget.
My guidelines also recognise some of the unfunded measures, most likely to be taken later in the decade, may be less well scoped at this time and therefore have less certainty around costs and emissions savings. This certainty would be expected to improve with each cycle of the climate budget process going forward.

N155 Bus Route (4)

Caroline Pidgeon: What will you do to mitigate the impact on travel for key workers caused by the reduced frequency of the N155 bus service?

The Mayor: Please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/2831.

N155 Bus Route (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Why does TfL propose to reduce the frequency of the N155 bus service on Fridays and Saturdays to 20 minutes, starting on 3 September 2022, despite the post-pandemic recovery of demand for night venues in Clapham?

The Mayor: Transport for London has brought the weekend frequency of route N155 in line with the weeknight frequency. Demand has halved on weekend nights following the reintroduction of Night Tube services on the Northern line from 2 July 2022, which closely follows the majority of the N155 route between Charing Cross and Morden.
With the reintroduction of Night Tube, even with a frequency reduction to route N155, there is a substantial overall net improvement in weekend access and capacity, for all customers including key workers and those travelling to and from night venues in Clapham.

Warmer Homes Advice Service (2)

Leonie Cooper: Currently the Warmer Homes Advice Service is delivered through Shine London, South London Healthy Homes and West London Green Doctors. What quality controls are in place to ensure that Londoners receive the same advice and service at point of need when they contact the Warmer Homes Advice Service?

The Mayor: My Fuel Poverty Action Plan announced the roll out of energy advice services, with pan-London coverage. The three providers of the Warmer Homes Advice Service operate to the requirements set out in my grant prospectus, and grantees have been required to lay out their processes for review. Each service has freephone advice lines and offers home energy advice visits. Over 15,000 vulnerable households have been supported since the establishment of the service in 2018.
In autumn my energy advice service provision will be significantly expanded, with Energy Advice London a first port of call for Londoners struggling with their energy bills. This will be operated by a single provider. The most vulnerable will still be transferred to the Warmer Homes Advice Service.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (7)

Emma Best: What assessment was made of electricity infrastructure, and its impact on development, when the London Plan 2021 was drafted? Why were the issues affecting West London not identified at the time?

The Mayor: During the preparation of the London Plan, infrastructure providers were pro-actively consulted. My team engaged extensively with energy network operators on growth and decarbonisation plans and were confident at the time that electricity network capacity would not act as a constraint to London Plan objectives. A significant emphasis was also put on reducing and managing demand for energy by promoting energy efficiency and flexibility.
More recently, electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) took into account London Plan growth data to inform future forecasts and investment requirements for their next business plans, which cover 2023-2028.

London Recycling Rate Target

Hina Bokhari: With reference to your answer to 2022/2321, what further specific support are you providing to boroughs to make considerable improvements in order to achieve the 50% London-wide recycling rate target by 2025?

The Mayor: Responsibility for the collection and disposal of waste lies with London’s local authorities and waste disposal authorities. However, I work with boroughs to ensure that their contracts, strategies and Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs) are in general conformity with my London Environment Strategy. This requires, as a minimum, the collection of six key recyclables and food waste. I expect greater ambition in their new RRPs for 2023-25 and to support them, my officers are providing advice through one-to-one meetings and through ReLondon, a partnership of the Mayor of London and the London boroughs. I am holding monthly surgeries between February and September, and have shared examples of best practice. .
One such example that I am encouraging all boroughs to roll out is ReLondon’s Flats Recycling Package, which is proven to increase recycling at purpose-built flats and estates. To support councils, I have provided a toolkit and communications aids, via ReLondon, who are developing specific support for collections from flats above shops. Through ReLondon I also convene a commercial waste network, offering advice and peer support on introducing and expanding recycling services.

Mobile phones (1)

Susan Hall: How many GLA issued mobile phones have not been used within:

• Six months
• One year
• Ever

The Mayor: Devices that have not been used are:
In some cases, the lack of use relates to long term absence including maternity leave. It is also the case that some individuals exclusively use MS Teams with a Surface Pro device so the phone is there as a potential backup device (including for the loss of internet connectivity) but is not actively used.

Further help for community-led housing

Siân Berry: What further actions will you take to help community-led housing in London?

The Mayor: Since becoming Mayor I have taken decisive action to boost London’s community-led housing sector.
In 2018, I secured £38m from the government for London’s Community Housing Fund. So far, I have allocated £21.7m to 94 community groups and nine London boroughs. Almost 70 homes have started and a further 250 are expecting to do so shortly. This funding has enabled innovative schemes to come forward, such as Tonic at Bankhouse - the UK’s first LGBT+ affirming homes for older people.
In the same year, I launched London’s Community-Led Housing Hub, which is supporting community groups get projects off the ground. The invaluable work of the hub has helped me to meet -ahead of time -my target to identify a pipeline of 1,000 community-led homes.
I have also earmarked specific sites for community-led housing through my Small Sites, Small Builders programme – and will be releasing more sites soon. In addition, I am delighted to be launching the opportunity for community groups to submit proposals for the 50 homes on the St Ann’s hospital site I have earmarked specifically for community-led housing.
I am also delighted that Dinah Roake -a leading light in London’s community housing sector and a former Operations Director of Russ Community Land Trust - is our new London Housing Panel Chair.
Having made so much progress, I am extremely disappointed that the government is not extending the Community Housing Fund or introducing a successor programme, and I will continue to lobby them to do so.
I will also seek to support the sector through my other funding programmes, including my Affordable Homes Programmes. My team is also working closely with the Hub on how it can continue beyond the end of the Community Housing Fund, so that Londoners do not lose this valuable resource.
However, longer-term investment is critical, and London’s great progress will be thwarted unless the government steps up and provides this. I look forward to discussions on this in due course with the new Secretary of State.

Robotics and Fighting Fires

Andrew Boff: What investment in robotics is being considered to assist in the fighting of fires by the LFB?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is not currently investigating the use of robotics for firefighting. LFB has representation on both national and regional research and development forums and is not aware that robotics are currently being investigated at any of these forums.
LFB’s new Research and Development function will monitor this position to see whether this type of technology might be able to be used successfully to aid firefighting and improve firefighter safety in the context of London’s complex and varied built environment.
LFB is exploring the use of robotics in Urban Search and Rescue (USAR). This is in the form of preliminary talks with the Ministry of Defence about the use of robotic dogs in search and rescue functions.

SMEs in London (2)

Tony Devenish: Whilst there is general funding support available to start up companies through Government initiatives such as the EIS scheme, what funding specifically is available from you for London to SME businesses who have been trading for some time?

The Mayor: Funding London operates a £100m Fund of funds that provides loan and equity finance to high growth SMEs.The London Business Hub and London and Partners provide business support and advice to SMEs that are different stages of development, including support to access finance. Some of these initiatives include the Wayfinder, the Mayor’s International Business Programme and the Property Advice Service.

Mobile phones (2)

Susan Hall: What is the standard cost of a GLA mobile phone handset and the contract?

The Mayor: The GLA purchases the iPhone SE as its standard mobile phone which costs £346. The contract is £6 per month per device for unlimited data and text messages.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (5)

Emma Best: In light of electricity infrastructure issues impacting West London development, do you intend to review GLA infrastructure policies and assessments to ensure any other issues can be identified and addressed?

The Mayor: The London Plan already provides a flexible strategic policy framework that is responsive to changing infrastructure needs and supply. It requires boroughs and developers to engage in the planning process with the relevant infrastructure providers and this will continue to be important especially in areas where large volumes of new demand are proposed and existing grid capacity only has limited headroom.
Beyond this, our Planning for London Programme will offer an opportunity to review evidence, anticipate any new or emerging sources of significant energy demand, such as data centres, and engage in the consideration of how longer-term growth and development can be accommodated in London. This will include how demand on the capital’s infrastructure may change over time.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) and Renewable Energy Generation (3)

Leonie Cooper: What opportunities has LFB taken to increase energy generation across its sites since September 2017?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has installed a total of 16 solar photovoltaic systems since 2017 which have the capacity to generate 272 kilowatts of electricity.

Cost of living/housing funding

Andrew Boff: You recently announced you had spent “more than £20m to improve security for private renters and house Londoners who are rough sleeping or homeless”. Could you please provide a breakdown of this £20m funding, along with the sources of this funding?

The Mayor: Most of this funding (over £12m) was GLA budget for my Life Off the Streets programme of services, which directly support people who are sleeping rough to leave the streets and provides the help they need to rebuild their lives. I secured the remainder from the government, for various designated programmes. Over £8m was to provide floating support to people moving into longer-term homes delivered under my Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and Move On Programme (MOP) (former rough sleepers and, for the MOP, also survivors of domestic abuse). A further £2m was for additional specialist help for non-UK nationals who are sleeping rough in London, and £0.16m funded work to improve conditions and standards in the private rented sector, so more renters can safely stay in their homes.

Digital exclusion

Anne Clarke: The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) and the Digital Exclusion Taskforce have been working to tackle the barriers Londoners face to getting online. One thing that can prevent some people from using the internet is the cost of broadband and this is a particular problem for older Londoners, given that London has the highest level of pensioner poverty in the country. Most internet providers offer a low-cost social tariff but this is not available to anyone aged 66 and over. Does the Mayor support Age UK London’s Mind the Digital Gap campaign which is calling on internet providers to make older Londoners over 67 eligible for their lowest cost broadband deals? If so, what help can you give them in promoting the campaign?

The Mayor: I support Age UK’s ‘Mind the Digital Gap’ campaign to make all social tariffs available to Londoners aged 67 and over, and the light it shines on the lack of availability for older Londoners.
My Chief Digital Officer and the members of the Digital Exclusion Taskforce, of which Age UK London is a member, have highlighted this issue directly to telecom operators who have begun enhancing their tariffs beyond those receiving Universal Credit. At present, BT, G.Network and Hyperoptic have included those on Pension Credit to now be eligible to apply for their respective social tariffs, and Community Fibre have removed all eligibility criteria and opened up their social tariff package to any Londoner wherever their network is present.
Whilst awareness has been amplified over the past 12 months, data from operators signals that take up for social tariffs remains low for a number of reasons. My officers are working with operators and boroughs to better understand how take up can be improved in London, including through the proposed new Digital Inclusion Service.
Government has recently launched a new service which allows operators that sign up with limited access to DWP benefits systems to confirm if a customer is eligible for a social tariff, which aims to speed up the process. Operators are calling on the Government to reduce VAT for broadband bills to improve affordability, this measure could reduce bills by on average £3 a month.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (3)

Emma Best: Which types of development are impacted by the electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London?

The Mayor: My key area of concern is the effect of electricity capacity constraints on the residential housing sector and the delivery of much needed affordable homes.
However, the electricity capacity constraints will affect any type of development that requires more than 1 Megavolt Ampere (MVA) of power per year. As an example, since sharing the background documentation and requesting detailed information from developers, we have also been made aware of EV charging points and hospitals in the three boroughs that could be affected. The solutions being explored by SSEN and National Grid would apply to all types of development, not just housing.

Energy Costs of London Fire Brigade

Anne Clarke: What analysis has the London Fire Brigade carried out as to the budgetary risk created by the upcoming increase in energy costs (and associated rises in energy costs for buildings, fleets, equipment etc.)?

The Mayor: The London Fire Brigade has undertaken an analysis of energy costs, in particular to clarify which elements are covered by contract prices and when these expire, to identify potential cost implications in the short to medium term. The Brigade has also considered opportunities to reduce demand/consumption and has raised the potential impacts of increased energy costs with the Home Office. The inflationary pressure is a key risk on the Brigade’s corporate risk register and, as such, is reviewed on a regular basis.
The financial impact in the current year is reported as part of the Brigade’s financial position and is to be met through a draw from reserves. The impact into the future is being considered and addressed as part of the Brigade’s budget process and will be included in the budget submission to the Mayor in November 2022.

Grass and Open Land Fires

Anne Clarke: Please list the number of grass and open land fires attended by the Brigade in the following years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 to date.

The Mayor: Grass and open land fires attended by the Brigade between 2018 and 2022 (to date) are set out in the table below. The table shows the two types of fire that make up the total.

The Mayor: 3206 Table.docx

Tasers (3)

Nick Rogers: Please detail the number of times Met tasers were drawn on and discharged at minors for each year Sep 15 to Aug 16, Sep 16 to Aug 17, Sep 17 to Aug 18, Sep 18 to Aug 19, Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22.

The Mayor: Please see the response to MQ 2022/3043

Tasers (2)

Nick Rogers: Please detail the number of times in each year Sep 15 to Aug 16, Sep 16 to Aug 17, Sep 17 to Aug 18, Sep 18 to Aug 19, Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22 that tasers were used but not discharged by the Met.

The Mayor: Please see the response to MQ 2022/3043

Plumstead Fire Station

Anne Clarke: Why did the Plumstead fire station project exceed budget and what lessons have been learnt from this?

The Mayor: The Plumstead Fire Station project has been competitively tendered to ensure value for money. The rising cost of materials in the construction market, and the addition of an air source heat pump to the specification, to ensure a carbon zero heating, required the budget to be increased.

Out-of-work benefits

Nick Rogers: Please advise how many people in London are currently in receipt of out-of-work benefits. Please provide the latest figures plus those for the last five years.

The Mayor: The latest figures available for people in receipt of any combination of out-of-work benefits are from February 2022, when there were 767,573 people in London receiving these benefits. Details of the benefits and conditions are in section 2.10 of the DWP Benefit combinations statistics background information note.
The quarterly figures for the last five years, including the latest available for Londoners claiming any combination of out-of-work benefits are in the accompanying spreadsheet:
Later figures are available for some of the individual benefits within this overall figure, such as Universal Credit. The number of people in London claiming Universal Credit that are out of work fell by around 12,000 from 504,000 to 492,000 between February and July 2022.

The Mayor: 2022-3040.xlsx

Tasers (1)

Nick Rogers: Please detail the number of Met taser discharges for each year Sep 15 to Aug 16, Sep 16 to Aug 17, Sep 17 to Aug 18, Sep 18 to Aug 19, Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22.

The Mayor: The requirement for police forces to recorded Use of Force information (including use of Taser) was introduced in April 2017. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) publish information related to use of force via a data dashboard – with the underlying data also available via London Data Store.

Access to Funding for Women’s Housing

Sem Moema: How are you working to make access to funding for women’s housing schemes easier?

The Mayor: My teams are engaging with relevant partners on a regular basis, including through my Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Partnership Board, the London Housing Panel and in bilateral meetings with organisations that are delivering or could deliver housing for women. It is also my intention to develop a new page on London.gov by the end of November this year outlining the GLA’s and GLA Group’s programmes that are supporting women and housing in London. This will signpost organisations to the detail of each programme. In addition, under my new Domestic Abuse Act duties, last year I set up a procurement framework to enable the delivery of support to survivors of domestic abuse in safe accommodation, and ensured the inclusion of ‘by and for’ organisations via a specific ‘lot’. Over the coming months, my teams will be seeking to broker relationships between organisations on the framework and housing providers to enable the delivery of additional accommodation.

London's Economy (2)

Tony Devenish: Spending in Westminster is down by 5% compared with May 2019. Although this is better compared to other London Boroughs what work have you done with Westminster City Council since the pandemic to attract more spending in this Borough?

The Mayor: Like most of Central London, Westminster has been affected by the declining number of international visitors and commuters. However, the extent to which areas have recovered visitor spending varies widely across neighbourhoods, with some doing considerably better than others.
I launched the Let’s Do London international tourism campaign in the US, France and Germany in May this year, backed by £9m of funding; to promote the return of international visitors who contribute significantly to expenditure in Westminster. London & Partners is working with Westminster City Council (WCC) on the West End Future Occupiers Project which aims to refresh the West End experience to meet future consumer demand. My High Streets Data Service is also supporting WCC officers to use visitor spending data to identify local ‘cold spots’ within the local authority that have not yet recovered, to support activation of programmes or partnerships in those areas.
I am also working with Westminster and other central London boroughs to develop an action plan to help the ‘Central Activities Zone’ that includes Westminster recover and adapt to the new economic context.
My officers work closely with WCC senior officials, with the GLA’s Executive Director for Good Growth recently joining the new ‘Future of Westminster’ Commission. I am pleased to say that since Westminster’s new administration took office following this year’s local elections, the new administration has displayed a willingness to work positively with the GLA for the benefit of businesses and residents in Westminster.

Unsold Shared Ownership Homes (1)

Sem Moema: What proportion of Shared Ownership homes built in the last 12 months in London remain unsold after 6 months?

The Mayor: The GLA does not hold this information and is not aware of a public or private dataset which comprehensively tracks such information. Several housing providers do publish regular Trading Statements with indicators from their sales data, as part of disclosure requirements for a Public Limited Company.

Warmer Homes Advice Service (1)

Leonie Cooper: With more Londoners anticipated to be pushed into fuel poverty because of the anticipated rise to the energy cap, how has your Warmer Homes Advice Service adapted its model to meet the likely rise in demand?

The Mayor: Warmer Homes Advice Service providers have taken on additional staff to cope with demand and in the autumn I will be launching a new energy advice service, Energy Advice London. This new service, available online and over the phone, will be open to anyone in London struggling with their energy bills and will be their first port of call. It will allow the Warmer Homes Advice Service to concentrate on the most vulnerable, offering home energy advice visits and advice and support with debt and billing problems.

Cost of Building Affordable Housing (2)

Sem Moema: What factors might have affected the cost of building an affordable home in the past 12 months?

The Mayor: Key factors likely to have affected the cost of building homes in London in the last year include changes in energy costs, construction wages, construction material prices, land costs due to competition from other uses, and financing costs due to changes in interest rates.

Earthshot Prize Summit

Tony Devenish: What specific actions (and please be specific) are you taking as part of the New York Earthshot Innovation Prize summit, circa 21st September, to support accelerating London’s climate progress?

The Mayor: I am not attending the Earthshot Innovation Prize Summit in New York this month. The inaugural Earthshot Prize Award Ceremony was hosted in London last year, where I did attend, but my focus this autumn will be the C40 Cities World Mayors Summit in October.
As Chair of the C40 Cities, I will use this event to show our leadership, share innovation and emphasise the vital role of cities in tackling climate change. At the C40 Summit, Mayors from across the globe will promote the theme ‘United in Action’. We will emphasise how climate action can tackle the immediate cost-of-living crisis, and address economic, social and health inequalities.

London's Economy (3)

Tony Devenish: London is currently 2% down on in person revenue spend compared with May 2019. This compares to every other region of the UK where in-person revenue is up from May 2019 with the North East up as much as 14%. Isn’t it time you concede that as Mayor you have failed to attract inward investment in London?

The Mayor: This question appears to conflate two entirely different economic measures – consumer spending, and inward investment.
I do not recognise the figures cited, or the reference to ‘in person revenue spend’.
But I have a track record of success in attracting foreign direct investment to London.
Since I became Mayor in May 2016, London has attracted over 3,200 FDI projects – more than any other global city.
In 2021, London accounted for over 34%of all FDI projects to the UK, with 369 projects, according to data from fDi Markets from the Financial Times.
This is significantly more than any other UK region, or European city - ahead of the likes of Paris (228 projects) and Berlin (218). Additionally, in the first seven months of 2022, London has already recorded a further 250 projects (fDi Markets).
According to the EY Attractiveness Survey, published in June 2022, London was also seen as being the most attractive city for foreign investors over the next three years.

Cost of Building Affordable Housing (3)

Sem Moema: Do all these factors that affect the cost of building an affordable home explain the low number of affordable homes that were started in London between April and June 2022?

The Mayor: Delivery in Q1 was affected by market conditions, but also partners needed to hit the previous year’s deadlines by 31 March so a drop-off in Q1 and Q2 is expected. Delivery will therefore be back-ended in the year, which is consistent with previous years.
That said, affordable housing starts in Q1 of 2022/23 were significantly higher than during the same period last year, when the annual total reached the highest level since GLA records began in 2003.

The Mayor’s Budget and the Cost of Living Crisis

Len Duvall: How will you use your 2023/24 budget to support those in the most need during the cost of living and energy crises?

The Mayor: I will be setting out my detailed budget proposals for 2023-24, including proposals to help alleviate the cost of living crisis, in my consultation budget in December. The final draft budget will then be publishedin February, following the final business rates and council tax forecasts from the 33 local authorities and details of the final local government and police funding settlements – including the level of government support to manage inflation pressures.
In the current financial year we have already put a number of measures in place to support Londoners and businesses, including£80 million of initiatives to address the impact of the cost of living and energy bills crisis.This is in addition to existing investment through my £340m adult education budget and my multi billion pound investment in delivering more affordable housing.

Extreme Weather and London (3)

Leonie Cooper: What action are you able to take to address climate change and extreme weather whilst there is a vacuum where there should be leadership in Government? Is this enough?

The Mayor: M response to Mayor's question 2022/3242 explains how I am preparing London for extreme weather events related to climate change, from heatwaves to flash flooding.
As Chair the C40 Cities I have rensured acting on climate resilience is a key priority. My London Plan goes further than national policy in requiring new developments to be net zero carbon as well as address overheating; to green our urban space; and to reduce the risk of flooding.
London’s approach to preparing for surface water flooding is recognised as leading the way for the rest of the country. We call on the government to adopt this level of ambition at national level.
My administration has also fought for Londoners for better water infrastructure. The GLA called on Ofwat and Thames Water to increase investment in London’s infrastructure. Ofwat then granted a conditional allowance of £300m contribution from Thames Water shareholders, for London,. A further £0.5bn equity and £1bn from shareholders has also subsequently been announced.

Knife Crime Prevention Orders

Tony Devenish: How many Knife Crime Prevention Orders were issued under the Met pilot?

The Mayor: There have been 108 Knife Crime Prevention Orders granted to date under the pilot. The pilot was due to run until the end of September 2022 but has been extended until 31st March 2023.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) and Renewable Energy Generation (4)

Leonie Cooper: How will the Green Bonds scheme help LFB to increase renewable energy use and/or generation?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is evaluating the Green Bonds scheme for uses such as station retrofits. In cases where LFB uses the scheme to carry out a complete fire station retrofit, LFB will include increasing the size and capacity of solar panels and generation technologies with improved electronics as part of the carbon reduction plans.

Short-Term Lets in Social Housing

Sem Moema: Do you welcome the High Court’s decision to allow Airbnb to share data with Kensington & Chelsea Council to identify council properties being illegally sublet? How can this be extended to other boroughs?

The Mayor: Boroughs have been forced to pursue data-sharing agreements with private companies because the government has not given boroughs the tools they need to tackle problems like housing fraud and illegal subletting.
In 2019, I called for a registration system to enforce short-term letting law. London is one of the least regulated major cities in Europe when it comes to short term lettings, and only the government can make the changes needed to protect our social housing from fraud and illegal subletting.
This month I will set out my calls for better regulation of short term lettings in London in my submission to the government's call for evidence on a tourist accommodation registration scheme. Once implemented, a national register of short term lets will help all local authorities detect and prosecute housing fraud, and help London boroughs prosecute breaches of the 90-night annual limit on the short term letting of London homes.

Unsold Shared Ownership Homes (2)

Sem Moema: What measures are available to developers to convert an unsold Shared Ownership property to a different tenure?

The Mayor: Developers of shared ownership homes are able to take a number of actions in the event that a sale is not forthcoming. Eligibility for shared ownership may be restricted in the first three months of marketing to prioritise certain households; additional eligible households may reserve homes after this period. Prices of shared ownership homes may be lowered by developers in order to attract reservations and sales.
Under the terms of the GLA’s Affordable Homes Programmes contracts, shared ownership homes can be made available as London Living Rent homes, which allows later conversion to shared ownership for tenants. Subject to availability of programme funding and the value for money of the request, the GLA is sometimes able to provide a change in grant approval, which allows homes completed and intended as shared ownership to be converted to other affordable housing tenures.
Changes to tenure within affordable housing provision must be made within the conditions and requirements of associated planning approvals including Section 106 agreements.

Solar together (2)

Len Duvall: What action have you taken against the contractor for the problems in the current phase and what lessons have been learnt for the next phases?

The Mayor: My Solar Together London programme has enabled over 2,300 homes to install solar panels since March 2018, with hundreds more booked in the coming months.
However, the current level of service on the scheme does not meet the standards that I and customers expect.
To address this, my team has been working very closely at the most senior level with iChoosr, the delivery partner on Solar Together London, to ensure reliability for customers is improved.
As a result, GET UK, the installer for phase four of Solar Together London, is now under intensified management from iChoosr. iChoosr reviews the work daily and reports weekly to my GLA team on progress against agreed actions.
Lessons learned from phase four include the need for better sequencing of surveys and installations, increased installation rates and improved and proactive customer communications. These improvements are summarised in MQ2022/3284.

Solar Together (1)

Len Duvall: Can you update me on what changes are being made for the current phase to improve the reliability for customers?

The Mayor: My Solar Together London programme has enabled over 2,300 homes to install solar panels since March 2018, with hundreds more booked in the coming months.
My team has been working very closely at the most senior level with iChoosr, the delivery partner on Solar Together London, to ensure reliability for customers is improved.
To provide better quality and increase capacity, three installers are delivering the current phase compared to just one in the previous phase.
iChoosr has significantly increased the size of their installer management team to provide additional support to installers, working to improve processes and customers’ experience, and in particular improve communications.
GET UK, an installer for both phases four and five, has completely overhauled its customer communications and continues to review and update processes.
My team continues to work with iChoosr and the installers to improve reliability and deliver the high standards that customers and I expect.

Food Roots Incubator Programme

Hina Bokhari: What assessments have been made about the overall value and impact of the Food Roots Incubator Programme, and what are the next steps for the programme?

The Mayor: Delivery for the first iteration of the Food Roots Incubator Programme will conclude later this month. The final evaluation report will be received after this phase of the programmer has concluded.
Interim assessments of the programme have found that the incubator support has enabled knowledge sharing amongst grantee partnerships, as well as learning from and piloting a variety of specific initiatives to address food insecurity in their communities. Alongside the funding of a coordinator role, which provided necessary capacity, the incubator has supported partnerships to develop, and maintain momentum on, a shared strategic approach among members.
As a result of the programme, partnerships have also been able to secure longer term funding from statutory partners and other funders, while others have been supported to consider opportunities for income generation.
My officers are currently developing options for the next iteration of the programme, with a goal of having an increased focus on supporting Londoners experiencing extreme financial hardship.

Extreme Weather and London (1)

Leonie Cooper: Last summer London experienced flash flooding. This summer we have experienced two heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures. What action are you taking to mitigate against the extreme weather we have experienced?

The Mayor: Climate adaptation is a cross-cutting area, incorporated into many of my Mayoral programmes. For example, climate adaptation features in my Green New Deal grant funds Grow Back Greener and Green and Resilient Spaces.
My overheating audits for care homes pilot and Guidance for Schools and Early Years' Settings set out measures these facilities can take to better prepare for and adapt to climate change. My Climate Resilient Schools programme is increasing the resilience of 100 schools across London.
I recently launched a £3.1m tree planting package to future-proof London to the impacts of climate change. This will be targeted in areas with low numbers of trees and where Londoners are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Please also refer to MQ 2022/3244

Shared Mobility

Elly Baker: Does Transport for London collect data on the number of journeys made using shared mobility methods of transport and if so, how has this changed in recent years?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not collect comprehensive data at a disaggregate level for shared mobility modes; however, specific data is available for some types of shared mobility like Santander Cycles (see, for example, Travel in London report 14, pages 111 to 114, https://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-14.pdf).
TfL does however collaborate with various third parties, including boroughs, to understand the take up, trends and issues affecting shared mobility modes such as car clubs. Based on this engagement we have recently produced a document outlining our approach to car clubs and their role in helping to achieve the aims of my Transport Strategy. A copy of this document will be made available to the London Assembly. This approach includes proposals for protocols to improve data sharing and visibility between operators, the boroughs and TfL.

Shared Mobility (2)

Elly Baker: What analysis, if any, has Transport for London conducted or studied regarding modal shift and shared mobility methods of travel (i.e. what percentage of trips taken via different shared mobility methods would otherwise have been taken by walking, cycling, public transport or private vehicles)?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has not specifically analysed this. The annual TfL Travel in London reports provide top level summaries of mode shift trends, insights into what is driving them and developments affecting them.
TfL is aware of industry-led demand studies for car clubs and is working closely with the three operators taking part in the e-scooter trial in London (Dott, Lime and TIER) to examine the available data points on mode shift, ensuring findings are representative and robust. TfL intends to include these findings in its published trial evaluation report after the trial finishes.

On-going review of TfL junk food advertising ban

Caroline Russell: What ongoing analysis will there be of the Transport for London (TfL) ban on advertising food deemed to be high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) and its impacts on the health of Londoners?

The Mayor: In 2019 I introduced restrictions on the advertising of high fat, sugar and salt food and drink across the TfL estate in an effort to tackle childhood obesity in London.
An initial evaluation of the policy carried out by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was published in February 2022 in the Public Library of Science peer reviewed journal. It found that the policy contributed to households buying up to 1,000 fewer calories of energy from unhealthy foods each week and a reduction in sugar purchases per week of up to 81% from products such as chocolate and confectionary.
A second independent evaluation from the University of Sheffield’s School of Health and Related Research was published in the International Journal of Nutrition & Physical Activity in July 2022. It estimated that the policy was associated with 94,867 fewer cases of obesity, among other health benefits, and projected savings for the NHS of over £200 million.
I’m now supporting local authorities in London who are keen to implement similar policies and exploring future opportunities to evaluate the impact of our work together.

Football Hate Crime (1)

Unmesh Desai: Does the Metropolitan Police routinely record whether a hate crime is linked to football when this happens outside of stadiums?

The Mayor: Yes. When the officer records the report, it will be flagged as “Football related”, in addition to having the relevant hate crime strand flag attached.

Grass Fires in Enfield

Joanne McCartney: How many grass fires have the London Fire Brigade attended in Enfield over the past 3 years and what resources were required to deal with them?

The Mayor: Grass and open land fires attended by London Fire Brigade between 2018 and 2022 (to date) in Enfield are set out in the table below.

The Mayor: 3341 Table.docx

Extreme Weather and London (2)

Leonie Cooper: How important is decarbonisation as a start to resolving the climate change that causes extreme weather? And what simple steps can we all take to use less carbon in London?

The Mayor: Decarbonising London and beyond is essential to alleviate the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events. Science shows that we need rapid and deep decarbonisation across all sectors to limit an increase in global temperatures to under 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is why I brought forward my net zero target forward by 20 years, aiming for a net zero London by 2030. This will not only help Londoners, but communities across the world that are already experiencing climate change.
Emissions from buildings and transport contribute approximately 90 per cent of London’s carbon footprint. Londoners can help by making their homes more energy efficient and reducing vehicle use where possible. Recognising we are in a cost-of-living crisis, my Cost of Living Hub advises on ways to keep costs low, and benefits both people and planet. My Warmer Homes scheme also provides funding to eligible low income Londoners to make homes warmer and greener, reducing energy use and thereby lowering bills and reducing carbon.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) and Renewable Energy Generation (1)

Leonie Cooper: How much renewable energy does LFB currently generate across its sites?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has the capacity to generate 1077 kilowatts peak across 70 fire stations. Kilowatts peak represents the maximum energy generated per hour when the sun is overhead in the summer.

Right to Buy Back

Sem Moema: What steps are you taking to encourage more boroughs to sign up to your Right to Buy Back Scheme?

The Mayor: In July 2021, I launched my flagship Right to Buy-back programme. This programme allows councils to bid for City Hall grant to purchase homes in the second-hand market and convert them into affordable housing. In August last year, I expanded this offer to help councils to provide housing for refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
In the past 12 months I’ve allocated over £150m to 14 boroughs across London to bring over 1,500 homes into council ownership. This includes 938 homes to be let at social rent – the most genuinely affordable housing, for which evidence shows there is overwhelming levels of need in London.
In March this year, I launched a £1m Right to Buy-back revenue fund to help boost uptake of the programme. I have since allocated over £800,000 in revenue funding to eight London boroughs, which will provide much needed investment in technical services and council staffing to increase buy-backs across London.
My team is continuing to secure new deals with boroughs to increase the number of homes delivered through my Right to Buy-back fund. Our door is open to other boroughs looking to secure new deals or to expand their existing buy-back programmes.
I’m hugely encouraged by the enthusiasm I see from boroughs across London for building new council homes. In fact, councils have smashed my previous target to build 10,000 council homes by 2022. I have now doubled my initial target and am calling on councils to start work on 20,000 new council homes by 2024. I look forward to further building these important partnerships with councils to help deliver the genuinely affordable homes which are needed now, more urgently than ever.

Warmer Homes Programme (3)

Leonie Cooper: What steps have been taken to ensure that all those eligible are aware of the Warmer Homes Programme?

The Mayor: As in my response to MQ 2022/1968, I have made extensive efforts to promote my £43m Warmer Homes programme to all Londoners who might be eligible.
I have used a range of channels to reach Londoners, including sending leaflets to 150,000 potentially eligible homes. I am now supporting boroughs to reach out directly to their most vulnerable residents. Further routes include e-mail, and an active social media campaign urging people to check their eligibility for the scheme. I am also working with community outreach organisations to support digitally excluded applicants and harder-to-reach groups.
MyWarmer Homes Advice Service refers eligible callers to the scheme, and I am working with pan-London energy advice organisations to identify and support applicants

Warmer Homes Programme (4)

Leonie Cooper: What further steps will be taken to reach those who may still be unaware of the programme?

The Mayor: My response to MQ 2022/3214 outlines steps I have already taken to promote my Warmer Homes Programme.
I continue to work with energy advice and community outreach organisations to support digitally excluded applicants and ensure no community is excluded.
I have made funding available to boroughs to promote the Warmer Homes programme locally in their communities.
I have an ongoing promotion campaign focused on reaching eligible applicants through digital advertising, social media and radio. I will continue to urge Londoners to apply through my social media platforms and will promote the scheme as part of my Cost-of-Living campaign.
I have recently announced a new service, Energy Advice London, in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, to provide advice to Londoners on managing energy bills. This will refer eligible households to the scheme.

Warmer Homes Programme (5)

Leonie Cooper: How are landlords of eligible tenants being made aware of the programme?

The Mayor: Since the launch of the Warmer Homes Programme, my officers have been working with local authority officers to promote the funding to eligible landlords and tenants in the private rental sector. They My officers and local authorities have written to landlords known to have eligible tenants, attended landlord forums to explain and answer their questions about the programme, and supported engagement with local authority property licensing and enforcement teams.
My officers are engaging with organisations and membership bodies, who represent both landlords and renters, to promote the funding to landlords in the private rental sector. They are also working with social housing providers to fund them directly to retrofit their rental properties

Warmer Homes Programme (6)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide a month by month breakdown of dispersal of funds under the programme, including the number of properties receiving funding.

The Mayor: My Warmer Homes programme aims to fund the installation of energy efficiency measures in around 3,500 homes across London. The programme is currently in the operational phase and due to the nature of the programme, both the number of homes where energy efficiency measures are installed, and the subsequent financial forecast and spend will change based on the nature of the retrofit works required for each home.This means it is too early to provide this breakdown.
I expect more Londoners to apply to the scheme, and for homes to be retrofitted over the Winter period, as energy demand and heating costs increase.

Energy Crisis

Leonie Cooper: The BEIS select committee anticipates an ‘unacceptable rise in fuel poverty and hardship this winter’ as a result of the energy price rise and inflationary pressure. How do we help Londoners in the short term to cope with the costs of the energy crisis?

The Mayor: Londoners face the possibility of not being able to heat their homes or put food on the table this winter. The massive and unprecendented scale of this crisis can only be addressed through government intervention.
I welcome the government finally responding to calls to freeze bills, but this should be funded by a windfall tax on the reported £170 billion profits of energy companies instead of through borrowing. I am also calling for the introduction of a Lifeline Tariff to ensure the most vulnerable people receive a certain amount of free energy every day.
The government has failed to make the UK resilient to energy price shocks. Looking ahead to next year and beyond, it should do this through a mass programme on insulation and renewable energy, rather than the expansion of fossil fuels.
In the meantime, I am doing everything in my power to support Londoners now and through the winter.
My £43m Warmer Homes programme provides grants of up to £25,000 to low-income Londoners to make them warmer, greener and cheaper to run. Thousands of Londoners have already applied, and I encourage others to check our website to see if they could be eligible.
This autumn, I will launch a new advice service, Energy Advice London, in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust. It will be open online and over the phone to anyone in London struggling with their energy bills. Londoners will be able to get advice on saving energy and keeping warm at home, on installing renewable energy systems, and on financial support to make their homes more energy efficient.
The most vulnerable households will continue to receive in-home energy advice, and support with energy debt, from my Warmer Homes Advice Service, which has already helped over 15,000 households. Over 300 organisations across London are referral partners, including the NHS and local third sector organisations

Warmer Homes Programme (1)

Leonie Cooper: How much funding has been provided for the Warmer Homes Programme?

The Mayor: Funding of £43m has been provided for my Warmer Homes Programme this year. £40.2m of this is used to retrofit energy-inefficient homes where residents are in fuel poverty, and is provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The remainder of the funding comes from City Hall and supports the installation and repair of heating systems in households not eligible for the BEIS grants, and funds the Warmer Homes Advice Service to provide fuel poverty advice and referrals.

Warmer Homes Programme (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many Londoners are eligible for funding through the Warmer Homes Programme?

The Mayor: The eligibility criteria for the Warmer Homes Programme are complex. Eligible households must live in an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) D-G rated property and have a residual income of up to £20,000 per year after housing costs.
The GLA does not hold personal data about incomes and benefits claimants for the London wide population and therefore it is not possible to quantify the actual number of potential applicants who are eligible to receive a Warmer Homes grant.
However, Government data shows that there are just under 1.9 million homes with a EPC Rating of D-G. The latest Government fuel poverty statistics show 11.5% of London households (403,807) lived in fuel poverty in 2020 according to their definition.

GLA Funding for Possible (1)

Nick Rogers: Has the GLA spent any money funding an organisation called Possible?

The Mayor: Please see my response to MQ 2022/3057.

GLA Funding for Possible (2)

Nick Rogers: If the GLA has spent any money funding Possible, how much was spent and to what purpose?

The Mayor: The charity 10:10 applied for and was offered grant funding from my London Community Energy Fund programme in 2018. 10:10 was the previous name for Possible up until October 2019.
They were granted £9,914 of funding, which was used to assess the feasibility of installing battery storage and Solar PV at two sites in Lambeth.

Warmer Homes Programme (7)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide a borough by borough breakdown, including the number of properties receiving funding.

The Mayor: Please see my response to MQ 2022/3217.

Removal of Green Levy

Leonie Cooper: With funding from the Green Levy being used to provide for programmes such as Warmer Homes, what will be the impact of removing the green levy from energy bills?

The Mayor: So-called “green levies” make up less than 10% of household energy bills, with this year’s record increases actually driven by wholesale gas prices. They are important sources of funding for programmes that help to keep homes warm and tackle the climate emergency.
If green levies are suspended this will threaten programmes such as the Energy Company Obligation, currently worth £1bn a year nationally and £130m to London. Green levies also fund the Warm Home Discount, a £150 annual bill discount available to low-income, vulnerable households. Government must replace this funding otherwise thousands of London households will miss on energy efficiency improvements to their homes. Government should fund this through a windfall tax on energy profits rather than future taxpayers.
My Warmer Homes programme, which offers grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 to low-income Londoners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, is funded separately.

ULEZ Expansion Consultation

Nick Rogers: When will you publish your response to TfL’s ULEZ expansion consultation?

The Mayor: My decision on whether to expand the ULEZ London-wide will be informed by a report prepared by TfL. I expect to receive the report for my consideration before the end of the year and to publish my decision soon after.

Number of charges brought in relation to Extinction Rebellion activities (following arrests)

Susan Hall: Please can you provide us with a year-by-year breakdown of how many people have been charged in relation to Extinction Rebellion (after being arrested)?

Please also detail exclusions from the data (if any).

The Mayor: Year
Arrests
Charged
Caution
PND/FPN
NFA
2019 (Apr-Dec)
3,004
1,683
7
0
1,314
2020
693
306
3
12
372
2021
541
144
2
0
395
2022 (to 02/09)
243
64
1
0
118

Number of Arrests made in relation to Extinction Rebellion activity

Susan Hall: Please can you provide us with a year-by-year breakdown of how many arrests have been made in relation to Extinction Rebellion?

Please also detail exclusions from the data (if any).

The Mayor: Year
Arrests
2019 (Apr-Dec)
3004
2020
693
2021
541
2022 (to 02/09)
243

Increasing Risk of Grass Fires and London's resilience

Joanne McCartney: Given the increasing risk of grass fires in London due to climate change, what further steps are needed to make our city more resilient in dealing with them?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety has engaged with Chief Executives of London’s Borough Councils about how they can keep their open land and spaces safe, and LFB has also been discussing this issue with partners through the London Resilience Partnership. In addition to this, messaging regarding grass/wild fires was publicised on LFB media channels supporting media work to raise awareness of the issues and how communities can help reduce the risk to London’s open spaces.
Internally, LFB’s newly established Research and Development team has now met with the network it is establishing with fire services from Australia and the United States who are particularly affected by fires in the open. This provided an opportunity to sense-check their current planning assumptions and take learning from these services on proactive action that the Brigade can take to minimise risk in the short and long term.

Drug Delivery Drivers/Riders

Susan Hall: For each year Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22 how many drug dealers were caught using food delivery disguises e.g. Deliveroo?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) advise me that it is not possible to provide this information in response to your question. To identify if an individual were purporting to be working as a delivery driver in the commission of drug dealing would require every drug supply crime record to be read in detail and be heavily dependent on data quality.

Force Management Statement 2022

Susan Hall: When will the Met’s 2022 Force Management Statement be published?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) aims to publish the Force Management Statement on its website by the end of November 2022.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) and Renewable Energy Generation (2)

Leonie Cooper: What assessment has been made of the opportunities for LFB to generate solar or other renewable power across its sites? How many sites were found to offer good opportunities and what amounts of energy were they anticipated to generate?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is currently researching how they can increase their solar generation. The initial indications are that the Brigade should be able to increase production by 40 per cent (400 kilowatts), by implementing newer technology and increasing the size of their solar photovoltaic array. The work required to assess the additional capacity is at initial design stage and detailed feasibility studies are due to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

NHS London

Len Duvall: What would be the implication for Londoners and health inequalities if the Government switched the new funding for NHS to social care?

The Mayor: The urgent need for adequate and sustainable social care funding cannot be overstated. Social care staff have worked incredibly hard, especially during the height of the pandemic, to safeguard the most vulnerable Londoners. Moving significant new funding into social care would help recruit and retain staff, and ensure they are properly remunerated for their exceptional service.
However, taking money out of the NHS is not a sustainable way to fund the sector, especially as the NHS faces its own post pandemic challenges. Moving money from one part of the system to another does little to resolve the Government’s failure to establish a long-term strategy to invest in social care and increase staff numbers.
Taking a wholistic approach to the funding of health and social care would benefit all parts of the system. Well-functioning social care systems are crucial for reducing pressure on the NHS and keeping people out of hospitals.

Voter registration

Len Duvall: You have previously said that introducing voter ID would be voter suppression and would disproportionately impact on ethnic minorities. Therefore, will you coordinate with councils in London on the impact of voter ID being unnecessarily bought in, looking specifically at what options could be used to help get ID to residents easily?

The Mayor: I am gravely concerned that the introduction of photo Voter ID risks barring eligible voters, especially under-registered and under-represented Londoners, from exercising their democratic rights. This is happening at a time when these very communities have disproportionately experienced the impact of the pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis.
Throughout the passage of the legislation, I shared briefings at key stages in both Houses of Parliament, with the aim of giving voice to under-represented Londoners. I will continue to work cross-party and with partners across London to minimise this disenfranchisement.
In 2023, the GLA will coordinate an impartial Voter ID public awareness campaign with the Electoral Commission, London boroughs and civil society. The campaign will raise awareness of this change and highlight the routes people can take to access the free voter ID card, if they do not have access to the forms of photo voter identification set out in the legislation.

LFB Recruitment

Susan Hall: Can you confirm whether the LFB takes protected characteristics into account in any way when making hiring/recruitment decisions and, if so, in what circumstances? (To assist, this specifically relates to end-stage hiring decisions, not the recruitment process as a whole).

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) does not take protected characteristics into account in hiring decisions. All candidates are assessed for their skills, experience and knowledge against the requirements of the role. The candidate attaining the highest score across those areas is offered the post.

Sir Tom Winsor’s review

Susan Hall: Have you learnt anything from Sir Tom Winsor’s review into the circumstances of Dame Cressida Dick's departure?

The Mayor: On the former Commissioner’s watch, trust in the police fell to record lows following a series of terrible incidents and scandals. Londoners were losing confidence in her ability to lead the deep-rooted change needed in the MPS, as was I.
What happened then was simple – rather than attend a scheduled meeting to discuss the reform I thought was needed, the former Commissioner chose to step aside from her role.
I would have preferred for her to attend that meeting, but like any officer or public official, the MPS Commissioner is free to resign at any point, and that’s what she chose to do.
We now have a new leader of the MPS who has demonstrated to me that he is determined to be a reforming Commissioner, committed to implementing a robust plan to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and to drive through the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance Londoners deserve.

High Streets Fund supporting community groups to use empty commercial space (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/4837. Do you consider that funding eight projects for community groups taking over empty shops is providing enough support to local grassroots organisations across the whole of London, and what more could you do to enable communities to take over empty public spaces in their neighbourhoods?

The Mayor: The eight projects represent a sample of initiatives addressing this issue at the time. My High Streets for All Challenge is funding 34 local partnerships to develop exemplar projects addressing a broad range of issues from community engagement and growing local economies to improving the public realm. This includes piloting two Community Improvement Districts in collaboration with Power to Change. In order to maximise impact, the programme supports sharing of lessons from delivery, with practitioners across London, through the High Street Network. In July, I launched Property X-Change, a digital platform and network to share innovation in how town centre property is developed, leased or managed, and to promote collaboration with local communities. My Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme provides support to secure vital social infrastructure. Previously my Good Growth Fund and Community Crowdfunding programmes supported over 150 grass-roots organisations to lead projects in their neighbourhoods.

Public reporting of driving offences

Caroline Russell: The public can report driving offences to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on their website and provide digital evidence such as dash cam and head cam footage. How many public reports of driving offences supported by digital evidence have the MPS received from 2016 to 2021 broken down by year and how many have resulted in investigation and Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP)?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have provided the attached information covering Driving Offences Reported by the Public for the period 2016 - 2021. Please ensure the notes page is read in conjunction with the information provided to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 2914_Public reporting of driving offences.xlsx

Youth services for London’s GRT community

Caroline Russell: To what extent has the Young Londoners Fund reached young members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community in London? Could you provide details of any assessment carried out of funded programmes to ascertain the number of GRT young people reached, and whether any specific funding has been allocated to GRT youth projects?

The Mayor: Over 300 young people identified as being from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities, have been supported through my Young Londoners Fund (YLF). The exact number reached is unknown, as not all young people share this information and it isn’t specifically monitored as part of YLF.
As part of my commitment to supporting young people most in need, a London-wide GRT needs assessment was completed. As a result, a working group is linking with partners supporting the GRT community to develop new programmes and connect them to vital services and opportunities.
Young people from GRT communities are a priority group for mentoring activity delivered through my New Deal for Young People (NDYP). We are committed to monitoring the number of GRT young people reached through these new mentoring opportunities and will continue to work closely with the GRT community to ensure opportunities provided through the NDYP are reaching them.

Community Housing Fund spending

Siân Berry: Could you provide a breakdown of how the Community Housing Fund has been allocated and spent since it was initiated in 2019? Could your response cover the original £38 million fund, plus any additional funding added, and be broken down into revenue funding, capital grants and development finance, along with a list of all schemes supported and the number of homes in each?

The Mayor: Please see the attached document which contains the breakdown of information requested.

The Mayor: MQ 2022 - 2916 Community Housing Fund spending data.xlsx

MPS Prevent letter to schools

Caroline Russell: Are you able to confirm if all schools in London received a letter about the Prevent Programme from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Prevent Lead this summer? If not, are you able to confirm: a) which schools received the letter, and b) the criteria used to select the schools that would receive the letter?

The Mayor: This letter was distributed widely by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) with the intention for it to be issued to parents and carers of all schools.
However, the MPS are unable to confirm whether all schools in London received or distributed the letter.

MPS Prevent referrals

Caroline Russell: A letter about the Prevent Programme from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Prevent Lead was sent to London’s parents ahead of the summer holidays about the risk of online radicalisation of young people. Are you able to confirm how many Prevent referrals resulted from the letter during August, as well as the number of referrals for August 2021 and August 2020 broken down by age brackets 0-10 and 11-18?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are unable to confirm referral numbers directly resulting from this letter as referrals are received via a variety of sources and this information is not always recorded.
Publishable Prevent referral statistics are produced annually by the Home Office and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/individuals-referred-to-and-supported-through-the-prevent-programme-statistic .

MPS Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and Degree Holder Entry Programme (3)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2022/1330. It was reported in The Times in July 2022 that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was forced to get rid of a ‘racist’ case study in its Degree Holder Entry Programme for Detectives course after university lecturers refused to deliver it. A former detective who taught the case study, said: “The scenario explains why nothing is changing in the police. When I was at training school all suspects were black. As educators we cannot allow young minds to be contaminated with racism and discrimination.” In light of this, do you believe that the MPS Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and Degree Holder Entry Programme are in step with MPS standards and expected behaviour and will help to produce officers that improve the culture of the MPS?

The Mayor: I have been clear that there is no place for discrimination of any kind within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The new Commissioner is committed to reform of the MPS and I will continue to hold him to account for the high standards the public expects of his officers.
The MPS work closely with a commercial partner and four London Universities for the development and delivery of its recruit training. The MPS has assured me that all training content is aligned to the National Police Curriculum as set out by the College of Policing.
The MPS has committed to involving its Staff Support Associations in the development of case studies to ensure complex and sensitive scenarios are appropriately delivered. The learning material will be continually reviewed to ensure it meets the standards expected.

Solar Together (4)

Leonie Cooper: Are there skills gaps in the delivery of Solar Together? How are you using the Green Hubs to ensure these gaps are addressed?

The Mayor: Installation companies for Solar Together London must go through a vetting process by iChoosr, the GLA’s delivery partner. This is designed to ensure that they have the experience, qualifications, capacity and financial stability to deliver.
However, demand for solar PV is at an all-time high as a result of the energy crisis. This is putting pressure on the sector, both in terms of supply of materials and also demand for skilled labour. My officers continue to work closely with the installers to improve performance and ensure all residents receive the high-quality service they and I expect.
I am doing what I can to support the development of the solar supply chain directly, including through my Green Skills Academy hubs. These bring training providers and employers together to tackle skills challenges and deliver industry relevant provision. This includes training related to domestic solar installation and maintenance.

London Olympics (6)

Neil Garratt: You have claimed that if London were to host the Olympics again they would be the ‘greenest ever’. Can you elaborate on how this would be accomplished?

The Mayor: As noted in MQ 2022/3015 a piece of work has been commissioned to look at the initial feasibility of a future Olympics bid. A key part the current work is to look at the existing venues to understand if these could be reused for a future Olympics and Paralympics. This is an approach being adopted by other host cities such as Los Angeles for the Games in 2028 and would be a key element of ensuring that any future games are as sustainable as possible.

Notting Hill Carnival 2022

Marina Ahmad: How much did the Notting Hill Carnival contribute to London’s economy this year?

The Mayor: The Notting Hill Carnival has been staged in London over the August bank holiday weekend every year since 1965. It is a great celebration of Caribbean culture and one of London's highest profile public events, attracting people not only from across the capital, but the UK and overseas. It is Europe’s largest Carnival event and attracts approximately a million visitors over the weekend every year.
Unlike many other large-scale events, Notting Hill Carnival has developed organically rather than being driven by a single group or individual. The GLA is not involved in assessing the economic impact of the event and as such does not have data to answer your question. However, it is clear that the Carnival makes an important economic contribution to London in the form of attracting domestic and international tourists, and encouraging attendees to spend money in the locality while they are there.

Mobile phones (4)

Susan Hall: What is the standard cost of a Met mobile phone handset and the contract?

The Mayor: The standard cost for a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Smartphone is £230. As well as the handset, this includes SIM and Network configuration and the other initial costs configuring the phone and dispatch to the user. Connectivity and data are purchased in bulk and not on a per device basis.

External Affairs

Susan Hall: Can you provide me with a breakdown of the External Affairs budget since 2015, broken down by year and include any reallocation or diversion of funds to other budgets?

The Mayor: The External Affairs annual budgets since 2015-16 to 2022-23 (excluding Events and Major Sports as they are reported on separately) are as follows:
2015/16: £2,713,000
2016/17: £2,470,000
2017/18: £4,066,000
2018/19: £4,916,000
2019/20: £4,349,000
2020/21: £4,464,000
2021/22: £4,745,000
2022/23: £5,140,000
The increase in the budget in 2017-18, is a result of the creation of the centralised marketing budget. In previous years, the marketing spend originated from project budgets held by policy teams dispersed across the GLA within project budgets.
Staffing, which is the majority of these budgets, increases year on year as a result of cost of living and annual pay increments.
There were no budget reallocations nor diversions to other Directorates in the above years.
These figures are opening budgets.

London Olympics (5)

Neil Garratt: Please provide the net profit or loss for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by the LLDC and/or GLA between 12 August 2012 to date.

The Mayor: The first venue to open post-Games was the Copper Box Arena on July 27, 2013. The London Aquatics Centre opened on March 1, 2014, followed by ArcelorMittal Orbit on April 5. London Stadium hosted athletics in 2013 and 2015, as well as five Rugby World Cup matches that year. The Stadium opened permanently to the public in 2016 when concerts and athletics took centre stage in the summer before West Ham United started playing their home matches.
Information relating to the net profit or loss for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by LLDC and GLA for the financial year 2013/14 can be found here (E20 Stadium – page 62, all other venues – page 74).
2014/15 can be found here (page 77)
2015/16 can be found here (page 86)
2016/17 can be found here (London Stadium – page 77, all other venues – page 89)
2017/18 can be found here (London Stadium – page 72, all other venues – page 85)
2018/19 can be found here (London Stadium – page 73, all other venues – page 86)
2019/20 can be found here (London Stadium – page 79, all other venues – page 93)
2020/21 can be found here (London Stadium – page 85, all other venues – page 98)
2021/22 (draft accounts) can be found here (London Stadium – page 77, all other venues – page 90)

Hillingdon Early Years Centres Closures

Onkar Sahota: Hillingdon Council is closing its three early years centres in December. It claims that financial pressures caused by rising inflation have forced it to make efficiencies. While you do not have ultimate responsibility for childcare, given your work on early years, do you share my concern that the closure of the centres will place many families in financial hardship, as private providers are very expensive, and what support can you provide families facing high childcare costs?

The Mayor: I share your apprehension about the sustainability of early years (EY) providers across London. The sector has faced years of chronic underfunding, compounded by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. These services are essential to families, especially the most vulnerable.
Between June 2021 and March 2022, I funded Strong Early Years London - offering business support for under-pressure EY providers. Last year I re-booted my London Early Years Campaign to improve awareness about childcare support offers.In these difficult times, families can access information and advice via my online Cost-of-Living Hub.
I have consistently called on government to increase funding to EY, taking wholesale action to ensure the sector’s long-term viability. This is reiterated in the GLA’s response to the government consultation on the EY funding formulae.

Polio Booster Uptake in London

Krupesh Hirani: Can you provide an update on the polio-virus booster uptake rate in London? If possible, can these figures be supplied by London borough?

The Mayor: The polio-virus booster campaign and roll out is being led by the NHS and UKHSA, initially focussing on affected areas in north and east London where the poliovirus has been detected and vaccination rates are low.
The roll-out of the poliovirus booster vaccine is now underway throughout London and data on uptake will be published by the NHS in due course. It is not yet available for London or by borough, given the relatively recent commencement of the programme.
The vaccine is being made available at general practices as well as 40 sites across the city for walk-in or booked vaccinations, including vaccination centres, hospital hubs and community pharmacies. Parents can find these at the following link.

Planning for Future Heatwaves (2)

Sakina Sheikh: How are you encouraging the planting of more trees to help cool London’s streets during heatwaves and warm weather?

The Mayor: I have recently launched a £3.1m tree planting and support package to protect and future-proof London against climate impacts including heatwaves. This is in addition to the almost 430,000 trees I have already funded since 2016 and will fund additional tree planting projects in areas of low canopy cover through my Grow Back Greener grant scheme and provide match funding for street trees to lever in funding from Defra’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund. It will also offer free packs of trees to community groups, faith groups and schools in partnership with the charity The Conservation Volunteers (TCV).
I will also be encouraging increased tree sponsorship via Trees for Streets, an innovative tree sponsorship platform, by match-sponsoring up to 1000 street trees to be planted by participating boroughs. To help identify suitable sites for street tree planting, I am also funding a programme of borough wide surveys. Planting trees can help provide shade, cool our city and also help tackle surface water flooding.

Planning for Future Heatwaves (1)

Sakina Sheikh: What steps are you taking to ensure London’s buildings can cope with future heatwaves?

The Mayor: Developers are expected to use the cooling hierarchy to mitigate overheating risk in new buildings as climate change leads to rising temperatures.I have commissioned research, ‘Heat Risk in London’ to show work what more can be done to reduce the impacts of the Urban Heat Island (UHI).
The Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 introduced six new sustainability requirements setting minimum standards for sustainability, including the management of heat risk. Mirroring the London Plan, the standards require overheating mitigation to be considered at the early stages of design development.
For existing homes, I have commissioned research to support the development of guidance into retrofit measures for existing homes and buildings which would help create cooler homes and buildings.
I am promoting heat mitigation measures, such as solar shading and ventilation in and around existing buildings such as the Retrofit Accelerator – Homes, Warmer Homes and the Retrofit Accelerator –Workplaces Programmes

Electricity Supply in West London

Sakina Sheikh: What discussions have you had regarding the concerns that West London will not have enough electricity capacity in the future to meet the energy demands needed to build new housing?

The Mayor: I am concerned about electricity capacity constraints in West London, since they affect timelines for housing to connect to the electricity network – but work toward solutions is showing some promise.
When the problem was brought to my attention, we immediately raised these concerns with electricity networks and operators to urgently establish the extent of the issue.
In May, my team wrote to the three affected London boroughs and OPDC and have worked with them since. We also asked developers to provide details on their upcoming projects.
My team now meets bi-weekly with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, National Grid Electricity Transmission Network and National Grid Electricity System Operator to establish short, medium and long-term solutions, to reduce the impact on housing delivery in London.
As a result of this work, SSEN recently announced that many housing developments requiring less than 1 MVA of electricity, usually 100-250 homes, should now be able to proceed without waiting for lengthy upgrades to the transmission network. Many developments that can phase work so they require up to 1 MVA annually should also move forward. SSEN is analysing how many homes this will unlock.
But I believe we need to go further. Additional solutions being explored include reviewing how electricity networks manage connection queues, and acceleration of network upgrades.

Solar Together (3)

Leonie Cooper: How many solar panels are expected to be delivered through Solar Together between now and May 2024?

The Mayor: My Solar Together London programme has supported over 2,300 homes to date to install solar panels.
There are currently two phases of Solar Together London in progress: phases four and five. These phases are both significantly larger than the first three phases of the programme.
Up to 1,600 additional households have indicated interest in installing solar panels between now and the end of phase five of Solar Together London.
However, various factors may influence this forecast including supply chain challenges, which impact upon the availability of solar panels across the market, and contract acceptance rates by Londoners who have had surveys completed.
My team will continue to monitor Solar Together London to ensure it meets the high standards that customers and I expect and are working closely with delivery partners, iChoosr, to enable as many Londoners as possible to benefit from this scheme.

Tree Planting (2)

Leonie Cooper: In relation to the Mayor’s tree planting programme, has City Hall been in contact with Merton council about increasing the amount of trees it can plant in the borough?

The Mayor: Merton participated in our London-wide bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund and were awarded funding for the planting of 194 trees in 2021/22 and 82 trees in 2022/23 (276 total). The borough has since conducted surveying to identify further planting locations and it seems likely they will participate in any future co-ordinated bids to the same fund. The next application window is expected to be in Spring 2023 for planting in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 planting season.
All boroughs have been encouraged to apply to the 2022 round of my Grow Back Greener Fund, currently open for applications until 26 September 2022, and will be contacted about other elements of my tree planting programme as they become available.

Tree Planting (1)

Leonie Cooper: In relation to the Mayor’s tree planting programme, has City Hall been in contact with Wandsworth council about increasing the amount of trees it can plant in the borough?

The Mayor: Wandsworth participated in our first London-wide bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund and were awarded funding for the planting of 73 trees in 2019-20 but did not participate in our more recent 2021-23 bid. The next application window is expected to be in Spring 2023 for planting in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 planting seasons and we will again be asking boroughs for eligible planting locations and offering match-funding.
All boroughs have been encouraged to apply to the 2022 round of my Grow Back Greener Fund, currently open for applications until 26 September 2022, and will be contacted about other elements of my tree planting programme as they become available.

Cost of Living

Leonie Cooper: Are there plans for local schemes available for residents in Merton and Wandsworth from you over this winter to help cope with the cost of living crisis?

The Mayor: I’m doing all I can to ensure Londoners struggling with the spiralling cost of living can access support to help reduce their costs or maximise their incomes.
The majority of the support is provided on a pan-London basis for all Londoners on low or no incomes, including for residents of Merton and Wandsworth.
I’ve provided £2.3 million funding for London Citizens Advice and London Legal Support Trust to increase capacity across their network and establish new outreach/ referral partnerships with community organisations. This includes support for advice centres in Merton and Wandsworth.
Residents of Merton and Wandsworth can access my online Cost of Living hub, which provides information about support and entitlements available. They can apply for my Warmer Homes programme, or call my pan-London helpline Energy Advice London. Low-income or digitally excluded households in Merton and Wandsworth will be sent leaflets containing key messages and helplines to help access support.
Through the Robust Safety Net mission of the London Recovery Programme, I am funding organisations like the baby bank Little Village, which has sites across London including in Wandsworth, to provide welfare advice in community settings.

Met Recruitment (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: The Met Police is currently targeting recruitment at women and Black and Minority Ethnic communities to increase diversity in the workforce. How many women and Black and Minority Ethnic officers and staff have been recruited per year for 2020, 2021 and 2022? Is there any evidence that the targeted recruitment drive is working?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is rightly focused on increasing the diversity of its police officers. Progress has been made, but there is still much more to do before London’s police are truly representative of the people they serve. I will hold the new Commissioner to account for increasing the diversity of the MPS.
The tables below show the number of officer and staff recruits over the last three financial years along with the proportion of female and Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits.
Officer Recruitment
Financial Year
Total
Female
% of Total
BAME
% of Total
2019/20
4,005
1,275
31.84%
691
17.25%
2020/21
2,438
913
37.46%
460
18.87%
2021/22
3,014
1,169
38.80%
694
23.03%
Staff Recruitment
Financial Year
Total
Female
% of Total
BAME
% of Total
2019/20
1,118
658
58.55%
346
30.81%
2020/21
782
454
58.00%
194
24.86%
2021/22
660
352
53.24%
198
30.05%

Met Recruitment (4)

Caroline Pidgeon: Recent recruitment advertisements for the Metropolitan Police look more like trailers for a crime show than a job, projecting for some a macho image of policing. Did you approve these advertisements before they went live and do you support their continued use as a recruitment tool for the Met Police given the crisis in culture in the Met?

The Mayor: The MPS produces a wide range of advertising materials and recruitment campaigns. In order to achieve the volume of recruitment it requires to grow it must have a broad appeal and reflect a range of opportunities within its workforce. The MPS will continue to review and assess the impact of its advertising campaigns.

Update on Employers of Bus Workers who died from Covid-19, March 2020-August 2022

Keith Prince: Further to your response to Question 2022/1629, please provide me with a breakdown of all the bus workers who died from Covid-19 by bus contractor during the period March 2020 - August 2022.

The Mayor: The GLA does not currently fund Ingeus under the Adult Education Budget (AEB). Training providers will have an opportunity to bid for funding in the upcoming competitive AEB and Free Courses for Jobs (FCFJ) grant application process this Autumn.

Elizabeth Line Benefits Framework (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: When do you expect the first of the transport outcomes, as laid out in the Elizabeth Line Benefits Framework published by TfL in July 2022, to be completed and published?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) expects the post-opening evaluation studies to be split into two phases. The first of these studies will look at transport impacts and how journeys have changed as a result of the Elizabeth line.
The study will consider the integration of the new railway with other transport services, including the bus and cycle networks, helping TfL to understand its role within a larger sustainable transport network in London, the South East and across the UK.
A comprehensive study report will be published in late 2024, around two years after the opening of the Elizabeth line. TfL expects to publish an interim report in summer 2023, around one year after opening.

Elizabeth Line Benefits Framework (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide a timeline for when the first and second evaluation for the studies for the economic, environmental and social outcomes will be completed and published?

The Mayor: At present, Transport for London (TfL) expects the post-opening evaluation studies to be split into two phases. The first of these studies will look at transport impacts and how journeys have changed as a result of the Elizabeth line. Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question 2022/2824.
The second study will look at impacts on the communities affected by the new railway. These wider economic, social and environmental effects will take longer to emerge and this second study is expected to be published around five years after the opening of the Elizabeth line. TfL expects to commission the study in early 2025, around three years after opening, to allow enough time for the impacts to materialise. During the study period (2025 to 2027), TfL will aim for an annual publication to regularly engage with the study’s findings and the outputs.

Elizabeth Line Benefits Framework (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: To what extent will TfL be making use of the London Assembly’s extensive investigative work on the Elizabeth Line project to evaluate the transport, economic, environmental and social outcomes, as described in the Benefits Framework document?

The Mayor: The Benefits Forum brings together those accountable for realising the Elizabeth line’s benefits with those responsible for analysing and understanding the measures and indicators. The Benefits Forum draws from expertise and work from Transport for London (TfL), the Department for Transport and other partner organisations such as the Greater London Authority and local authorities.
TfL welcomes the London Assembly’s input of relevant insights, data and analysis from its own investigative work to support the development of the scope and approach to the evaluation studies. TfL aims to build on existing work and avoid duplication where possible.

North Sheen Station

Caroline Pidgeon: Given the lack of step free access at North Sheen Station, and current planning applications for nearby sites, what discussions have GLA officers had with the developers and council to look to secure a step free station in this area?

The Mayor: North Sheen station is operated by South Western Railway. The London Borough of Richmond is primarily responsible for discussing requirements for improvements to local transport infrastructure with developers and public transport service providers, including step-free access at rail stations. South Western Railway and Network Rail would need to lead the development of any such proposal, as they own and manage the station.
Greater London Authority (GLA) officers have had discussions with Network Rail in relation to the current Manor Road planning application which falls within North Sheen’s catchment. Network Rail have subsequently requested a contribution from the developers of £30,000 to fund a feasibility study looking at the provision of accessibility improvements at this station. This does not guarantee the delivery of step-free access at this station but is a potential starting point for the delivery of such an enhancement.

Met’s Inclusive Leadership Campaign

Susan Hall: Please provide the information/learning material delivered to first line managers as part of the Met’s Inclusive Leadership Campaign?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Inclusive Leadership campaign was delivered via a digital platform with three interactive learning modules covering:
The modules were delivered 6-8 weeks apart and each module was followed by a debrief discussion led by a local Senior Leader, reflective activities and post course work. It is not possible to provide the specific learning material as the intellectual property for the content is owned by the training provider.

Signage to the Elizabeth line at Moorgate

Joanne McCartney: Arriving on the Great Northern platforms at Moorgate, signage to the Elizabeth Line is unclear. Signage appears to indicate that passengers should ascend to the ticket hall area, leave the station and enter the Elizabeth Line via another external entrance. In fact one can simply descend from the Great Northern platforms into the underground tunnel that runs through to the Elizabeth Line platforms. Can you ensure that this signage is improved?

The Mayor: I have asked Transport for London to review the signage at this location and make any amendments needed in response to this feedback.

Mental health issues

Susan Hall: For each year Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22, how many police officer hours were used to assist/support people with mental health issues?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) advise it is not possible to calculate how many police officer hours were used to assist/support people with mental health issues.

Energy costs (4)

Susan Hall: What immediate action is LFB taking to reduce energy use due to the rising costs?

The Mayor: In response to rising energy costs, London Fire Brigade (LFB) has upgraded its Building Management system which will enable them to target buildings that have a high energy use or could benefit from energy reduction. Energy audits have been commissioned on buildings with known high consumption so investment and behavioural change can be investigated.
LFB secures energy through the London Energy Plan (LEP) framework. An advantage of using the LEP framework is that aggregate energy volumes of LEP members will achieve a very competitive market price for (p/Kw) in a complex and fast moving wholesale energy market.
In addition, the suppliers, LASER, are certified under the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin and the Green Gas Certified Supply to supply green energy. LFB has specific energy reduction projects, for example, low energy lighting, solar photovoltaic arrays, combined heat power units, efficient boiler replacement programs and building fabric insulation improvements.

College of Policing

Susan Hall: Do you agree with Policy Exchange that The College of Policing should be replaced?

The Mayor: I do not agree with the report’s conclusion that the College should be replaced. The College identified a number of the issues raised within this report in their own “Fundamental review” published earlier this year. The Government should consider the recommendations within the College’s review and assess how it can be can better supported in its efforts to help the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and other police forces improve.
The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and MOPAC have a positive track record of working collaboratively with the College on many different issues

London Councils Food Insecurity

Hina Bokhari: What specific work have you undertaken with London Councils and boroughs to communicate and share good practice on tackling food insecurity?

The Mayor: My officers work with councils to tackle food insecurity via a number of routes. GLA officers are active members of the London Councils Engagement Network, which brings together representatives from all boroughs and is currently focused on action to address the cost-of-living crisis, including food insecurity.
The London Food Board convenes the Boroughs Food Group, which meets quarterly and is supported and attended by my officers. The Group has over 200 members from across all London boroughs, and helps local authorities and external partners including organisations working on healthy and sustainable food issues, to share intelligence, data and best practice. This will include issues relating to tackling food insecurity.
The Food Aid Sub-Group, another offshoot of the London Food Board, brings together engaged partners from borough councils and the VCS to improve information sharing and communication about food aid and monitor emerging issues within the sector.
All boroughs are also invited to complete the Borough Food Insecurity Survey, which provides the GLA with data on the experiences of the food aid sector across London and informs conversations about the strategic direction of the GLA’s work. London Councils have supported officers with achieving high engagement with the survey, and are convening a meeting of borough directors later this month to discuss London-wide food insecurity strategy.

Planning Law and Walkable Neighbourhoods

Joanne McCartney: Do you support Sustrans' call on the Government to incorporate walking and cycling infrastructure and walkable neighbourhoods into planning law and policy in England?

The Mayor: Sustrans rightly argues that new development should be located in sustainable locations, with walking and cycling infrastructure and walkable neighbourhoods integrated into planning policy.
The new London Plan integrateswalking and cycling into policy which is a critical part of achieving my target for 80 per cent of all journeys in London to be made by active, efficient and sustainable modes by 2041.
New developments are expected to be designed around people walking, cycling and using public transport and be located in locations which are highly accessible by sustainable modes, as well as provide financial contributions to transport improvements as appropriate.
The London Plan also sets out a range of other policies to achieve Good Growth, including how boroughs should embed the Healthy Streets Approach and identify transport schemes, including walking and cycling infrastructure, to underpin sustainable development across London.
Once adopted, the Walking, Cycling and Sustainable Transport London Plan Guidance will provide further guidance on how to protect and integrate public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure in development plans and proposals.

Launders Lane Air Quality

Keith Prince: How are you monitoring the air quality around Launders Lane and what are the results, given the regular fires?

The Mayor: Air quality monitoring is the statutory responsibility of the London Boroughs. The nearest air quality monitoring station to Launders Lane is operated by the London Borough of Havering near the junction of New Road and Upminster Road in Rainham. This site measures NO2, PM10 and PM2.5.
Havering, have commissioned Imperial College to do a retrospective study of the data from this monitor to identify any contributions from the fires.
In addition, Havering will be installing additional Breathe London sensors once suitable locations have been identified. Unlike traditional monitors these sensors can be rapidly deployed to areas of concern and at a high density to help identify contributions from specific sources.
Finally, I understand that Havering are working with experts to identify and put in place any additional monitoring that might be needed for specific combustion products that are not routinely measured but which may have health effects in the area.

Launders Lane - Firefighter Safety

Keith Prince: What discussions have you had with the LFB about the safety of firefighters when tackling fires at Launders Lane? Will you help find a safe solution to moving a fire hydrant closer to the areas affected by fires?

The Mayor: I am in regular discussions with the London Fire Commissioner and I know that he places the utmost priority on firefighter safety. While there will always be a degree of risk when firefighters attend any fire, I am confident that they have the required training and experience to respond to the incidents at Launders Lane.
I am aware that the local authority has been looking at the possibility of moving a fire hydrant closer to the site to make it easier for firefighters when responding. This may assist firefighters in their operational response, but it doesn’t address the underlying issues with the site which are causing the Brigade to have to attend so often.
I would welcome discussions about where the Greater London Authority may be able to provide support to help reach a long-term solution for the site.

Cost of Living Hub and Foodbanks

Hina Bokhari: Please state what engagement you have undertaken with foodbanks to communicate the support being provided through your online Cost of Living Hub.

The Mayor: My officers have engaged with the food aid sector to help develop and share the Cost of Living Hub.
Officers from the Trussell Trust and Independent Food Aid Network were consulted as part of the development of the hub and helped shape its content. Both have shared the hub with their networks of food banks. The hub has also been shared with a wide variety of food aid providers and borough councils via networks such as the Boroughs Food Group of the London Food Board.
Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, chaired a briefing for civil society organisations to promote the hub. It was attended by over 100 organisations, including food banks and other faith and voluntary organisations that distribute emergency food aid.
As part of the Mend the Gap campaign, leaflets about how to access financial support will be distributed to households. We will work with the Mayor’s Fund for London’s Kitchen Social programme, and other partners, to distribute these leaflets through food aid settings.

LFB HMICFRS Report

Susan Hall: What targets have you set for the LFB in response to the most recent HMICFRS report?

The Mayor: The outcome of the most recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report, published on 27 July 2022, will be addressed through the creation of an action plan, in a similar way to the one created following the round one inspection in 2019.
Since publication of the round two HMICFRS report, work has been ongoing to develop an action plan to address all the Areas for Improvement (AFIs) highlighted in the report. This has involved cross mapping the AFIs to programmes of work that form part of this year’s delivery plan and the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP).
The draft action plan will be shared with HMICFRS on 13 October. Progress against the action plan will be monitored and reported on a quarterly basis, in line with existing performance reporting.

Frequent Fires and LFB Callouts

Susan Hall: Please can you outline which locations/addresses have had the most frequent fires and callouts to the London Fire Brigade since 2016? Please give a breakdown by location, borough, number of callouts/incidents and cost to the LFB.

The Mayor: The response to this question uses postcodes to identify the locations with the highest number of fires and callouts for each year from 2016 to 2022. A postcode designates an area with several addresses (up to 15) or a single address. Some locations where there are a high number of incidents are due to the presence of larger institutions such as prisons and hospitals. Where two boroughs are listed in the tables below it means that the postcode spans across both.
There is no additional direct cost of attending incidents however, the total notional cost of attendance at these incidents, based on the number of pumps attending, is set out in the table below. This notional cost is based on the Brigade's hourly charge per pumping appliance in attendance at chargeable special service incidents.
The hourly charge per pumping appliance for each year can be seen in the table 1, attached.
Ten postcodes with highest number of all incidents each year from 2016 – 2022 in table 2, attached.
Ten postcodes with highest number of fires each year from 2016 – 2022in table 3, attached.
Ten postcodes with highest number of fires each year from 2016 - 2022 – Notional cost of attendancein table 4, attached.
Ten postcodes with highest number of all incidents each year from 2016 - 2022 - notional cost of attendancein table 5, attached.

The Mayor: 3075 Table 1.docx


  3075 Table 2.docx


  3075 Table 3.docx


  3075 Table 4.docx


  3075 Table 5.docx

Adult Education Budget (5)

Neil Garratt: How many people have received training with funds from the Adult Education Budget?

The Mayor: I am committed to supporting accessible skills provision in the capital including through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).
The GLA publishes this information regularly on the London datastore. To date, there have been around 500,000 GLA funded AEB learners. This does not include full year data for the current 2021/22 academic year, and is broken down as follows:
Please note that this information was also shared with your team in August 2022.

Regulations in the hospitality sector and climate change

Sem Moema: Is regulation of the hospitality sector at the right level to ensure that climate change and sustainability are priorities for the sector?

The Mayor: Regulation, along with policy, is an important way to ensure that sectors from across the economy make the transition to a low carbon circular economy and, as the science shows, we need to make a far quicker transition than is currently happening and regulation will have an important part to play in catalysing the action that is needed.

Childcare provision (2)

Marina Ahmad: How many childcare providers were there in each year from 2012 to 2021 in London? Can you break this down by age?

The Mayor: See table below for a collated list of the number of childcare providers on the Early Years Register (EYR) in London from March 2015 to March 2022. The EYR is compulsory for providers that care for children in the early years age group.
This data is collected by Ofsted, published twice a year:
www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-statistics
For comparison, data from just one collection point per year is included. Data prior to 2015 is not published in a comparable format.
The GLA does not have access to a breakdown of this data by age. Individual local authorities may be able to provide this for you.
March 2015
March 2016
March 2017
March 2018
March 2019
March 2020
March 2021
March 2022
Total number of providers on EY register in London
12,416
11,526
11,156
11,072
10,695
10,275
10,135
9,569
Childminders
8,447
7,622
7,202
7,047
6,659
6,168
6,047
5,465
Childcare on non-domestic premises
3,923
3,856
3,908
3,976
3,985
4,049
4,031
4,043
Childcare on domestic premises
45
48
46
49
51
58
57
61
Ofsted also holds the Childcare Register which has two parts: the compulsory part for those caring for children aged 5 up to 8 years and the voluntary part for those caring for children aged 8 and over, most registered nannies, or crèches.

Attracting Visitors to London

Susan Hall: What challenges have you faced in attracting people to visit the capital?

The Mayor: The main challenge in attracting visitors to London has of course been the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, which caused an enormous reduction in international travel in 2020 and 2021.
International tourism is now recovering – but is still at only about 70 per cent of 2019 levels, with significant markets such as China still yet to open up to international travel.
While international travel was not possible or significantly curtailed, we launched the Let’s Do London domestic tourism campaign last year, to attract day trippers and UK overnight stays to the capital. The campaign brought 330,000 additional visitors and £81 million of additional spend to London, and with a return-on-investment ratio of 18 to 1.
I backed the next stage of the Let’s Do London campaign with an additional £10 million of funding this year, as local and international Covid restrictions were lifted – looking to attract international and domestic overnight stays, as well as more day trips by Londoners to enjoy their city.
The initial data from the London & Partners’ international Let’s Do London tourism campaign shows that it is one of the most successful ever, with strong recall and influence on the target audience.
And on 25 August, I launched the next chapter of our Let’s Do London tourism campaign – ‘Love London’. The Love London campaign is promoting fantastic free and discounted activities that Londoners and visitors can enjoy in our city – one more way we’re helping more people enjoy our city at a time when the cost-of-living crisis may impact tourism levels further.

BusinessLDN manifesto

Marina Ahmad: What conversations have you had with BusinessLDN on their manifesto for the new Prime Minister and how are you working with them to lobby the new Prime Minister for this support?

The Mayor: I wholeheartedly support and endorse BusinessLDN’s requests of the new Prime Minister: addressing the energy bill crisis, increasing access to high-quality affordable childcare, providing an affordable rail service, agreeing a sustainable funding deal for TfL, supporting people into work and reskilling, and building homes at scale.
I regularly engage with BusinessLDN, along with my Deputy Mayor for Business and officers, both directly and through bodies including the London Recovery Board, London Covid Business Forum, Skills for Londoners’ Business Partnership and policy work on economic development, skills and Net Zero.
I and my office will continue to work closely with BusinessLDN to lobby the government to take the urgent required action to help London businesses to weather the current cost-of-living crisis.

Sustainability in the hospitality sector

Sem Moema: How is your office working with SMEs in the hospitality industry to help them improve their sustainability and thus their resilience?

The Mayor: My Business Climate Challenge programme will support up to 250 SMEs, including those in hospitality, to reduce their energy consumption by 10% a year through tailored advice and support.
My Better Futures and Better Futures Plus programmes have already supported over 120 London based SMEs this year towards their ‘Net Zero’ journeys.
More broadly, the London Business Hub provides up-to-date support and guidance to SMEs looking to decarbonise. It includes a dedicated Climate section which includes hospitality sector-specific support, via its Climate Action Frameworks that help SMEs reduce emissions and build a business case for climate action.

Green New Deal grant funding and sustainability in the hospitality sector

Sem Moema: What learning has been taken for SMEs in the hospitality sector from the Green New Deal grant funding offered through ReLondon? How can this learning be upscaled for bigger organisations?

The Mayor: Through my Green New Deal fund, ReLondon offered grants and business support to 88 SMEs that are in or directly reliant on hospitality and retail and of these 30 SMEs operate a hospitality business. Most focused on interventions that redistribute or repurpose food waste into new products, and tackling single-use packaging.
The circular pilot grants demonstrated that investing £10-15k into circular economy initiatives can yield business benefits including cost savings and new revenue. 62% of circular pilot grantees have identified environmental benefits from their scheme (e.g. reduction in waste levels or materials reclaimed); and 59% have seen commercial benefits from their projects (e.g. new customers attracted or engaged in the brand, new revenue streams/product lines launched, increased employee engagement/upskilling), 89% agreed that their pilot contributed to employee skills development, and 71% said projects contributed to keeping jobs safe.
To share this learning, case studies are being published on ReLondon’s website and highlighted via social media.

Better practice on sustainability in the hospitality sector

Sem Moema: Does the hospitality sector in London have enough support to encourage better practice on sustainability and climate change?

The Mayor: All businesses, including those in the hospitality sector, must be supported in meeting their sustainability goals; and I would like to see much more direct support provided by government in respect of that.
For my part, the London Business Hub has part-funded the Better Futures and Better Futures Plus programmes which has supported over 120 London based SMEs towards their Net Zero journey this year.
My Business Climate Challenge programme will support up to 250 SMEs, including hospitality, to reduce their energy consumption by 10% a year through tailored advice and support.
My London Business Hub provides up-to-date support and guidance to SMEs looking to decarbonise. It includes a dedicated Climate section which includes hospitality sector-specific support, via its Climate Action Frameworks helping SMEs reduce emissions and build a business case for climate action.
Sustainability will also be a key plank of London & Partners' upcoming London 2030 Tourism Vision.

Innovation Partnership

Sem Moema: How many homes have been retrofitted to date as a result of the Innovation Partnership you announced last year?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's question 2022/3224.

Section 21 Evictions

Sem Moema: In light of the appointment of a new Prime Minister, do you believe the Government should continue to prioritise the scrapping of Section 21 evictions?

The Mayor: Yes, absolutely. Scrapping section 21 evictions must be an urgent priority for the new Prime Minister and her government. Renters have waited for too long, having been promised a reformed private rented sector several times since 2019. The cost of living crisis – with energy bills, inflation and rents all rising – is hitting renters’ finances hardest, when many are still recovering from the impacts of the Covid pandemic.
The Fairer Private Rented Sector white paper adopts many of the recommendations in my London Model for tenancy reform, including scrapping Section 21 evictions, introducing open-ended tenancies with no break clauses and reforming possession grounds. Longer notice periods, however, are absent, but urgently needed to give tenants extra breathing space to access support and advice or save for a move before their tenancies end. I urge the new Prime Minister to reconsider this issue, and to proceed at pace with implementing these reforms.

Homelessness Provision (1)

Sem Moema: Are you supportive of the work of Capital Letters who are pooling procurement and expertise across London’s boroughs to tackle homelessness?

The Mayor: I am supportive of the work of Capital Letters. The GLA was involved in the early stages of the work that led to the creation of Capital Letters and supports its aims to reduce competition between boroughs for accommodation, expand the number of suitable properties available to councils, and enable more homeless households to remain close to their home area. By doing that, the GLA supported councils’ efforts to find stable private rented housing for homeless households as an alternative to temporary accommodation.

Homelessness Provision (2)

Sem Moema: With winter approaching, what support is being given to housing providers to ensure they can support homeless Londoners?

The Mayor: This year, the City Hall administered Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) will provide over £100m of funding to housing providers in London. RSAP delivers vital longer-term homes for rough sleepers and support for the residents of those homes. 900 of these homes have already been provided under RSAP, with over 500 more to be delivered between now and March. Furthermore, since 2018, councils have started over 13,000 City Hall-funded council homes, with council home building in London reaching its highest level since the 1970s. Backed by City Hall funding, these new homes are helping councils to house some of the many households in housing need, including those who are homeless. In addition to funding new homes, this year, the Mayor’s budget for rough sleeping services is over £19m. The budget funds homelessness charities to undertake a wide range of activities as part of the Mayor’s Life Off the Streets programme, as outlined in response to MQ 2022/3364.
Through my Right to Buy-back fund I am also helping councils to acquire homes and make them available at pace to households on their waiting list or as temporary accommodation for homeless households. Since July 2021 I have allocated funds to help councils turn 1,577 market homes into affordable homes.

COVID & the MPS (1)

Unmesh Desai: How many days of staffing were lost in the MPS due to COVID over the past two years? Could you provide this for both police and civilian staff?

The Mayor: Working Days Lost in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) due to Covid are shown in the table below.
Year
Officers
Staff
Total
2020
41,499
15,308
56,807
2021
95,526
29,876
125,402

Woolwich Ferry

Keith Prince: After a recent 3-week closure of the Woolwich Ferry due to “technical difficulties”, when can Londoners expect a reliable service?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) apologises for the recent disruption to the Woolwich Ferry service. It has reinstated a one-vessel restricted service (07:00-18:00 Monday to Friday) following the rectification to the technical issue faced. TfL also continues to actively recruit and train staff for key operational roles to allow it to address its current resourcing issues.

Noise Pollution

Len Duvall: Constituents have complained that there is no joined up approach to noise pollution and enforcement in London. Can you begin work to bring City Hall, Councils and Government together to tackle this problem?

The Mayor: I understand the concerns regarding noise pollution and this is I have clear policies within my London Plan, Transport Strategy and Environment Strategy on controlling noise.
Where I can, I am seeking to mitigate ambient noise impacts through the actions of TfL and the wider GLA group. TfL, for example, monitors noise and vibration levels across the network and carries out practical action to alleviate concerns from residents, though its ability to take action has been affected the pandemic’s impact on TfL revenues.
However, I have no direct role over regulating or policing many types of noise that affect Londoners and so my powers to monitor and control noise are limited. My officers already work with Councils, Government, City Hall and other stakeholders on our shared commitment to tackle noise pollution. Existing legislation means that enforcement will remain the responsibility of multiple authorities and therefore reliant on joint working on these issues.

Owami Davies (1)

Unmesh Desai: Will the Met be reviewing its handling of the Owami Davies case, particularly why incorrect images were disseminated and why it took so long for her to be registered as missing on the police database?

The Mayor: Yes, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) will be conducting a review of its handling of the Owami Davies case and will disseminate any learning that will help to inform the police response in any similar future incidents.
The review will include both the issues raised.

Adult Education – construction workers (3)

Hina Bokhari: Do you accept the figure put forward by the Construction Industry Training Board that 350,000 additional construction workers are needed in order to fulfil national Net Zero plans, equating, in proportion to population, to roughly 48,000 in London? If not, why not?

The Mayor: The Construction Industry Training 'Board's figure of 350,000 is for 2021 to 2028. The 48,000 estimate is consistent with London accounting for 12-14% of total UK construction jobs. This is broadly in line with WPI Economics' analysis which projects the number of Homes and Buildings sector jobs in London to increase by 59,000 between 2020 and 2030.
It is important to consider new jobs created and upskilling the existing workforce to meet net zero. WPI Economics' analysis indicates the combined total is over 100,000 jobs, whereas City Hall analysis suggests 65% of jobs are already considered '' green', including roles like electricians.
My Academies Programme is connecting employers and providers to improve the supply and relevance of training. My Skills Bootcamps offer short courses to support Londoners into jobs, and my Solar Skills programme is supporting experienced electricians to upskill as well as first steps into a career in solar.

Adult Education – construction workers (2)

Hina Bokhari: What increase do you plan in the Adult Education Budget to support the training of additional retrofitters from 2023 to 2030?

The Mayor: The Adult Education Budget (AEB) for London is set by central government on an annual basis and I expect to be notified of the budget for the academic year 2023/24 at the end of January 2023. Following receipt of this budget, I will confirm the funding priorities for skills providers including supporting the green economy and helping Londoners to access the skills they need to move into good jobs, which is already a key focus of AEB in London. I have also asked AEB providers to share their delivery plans at the start of the academic year, outlining how their provision will meet priorities including green economy skills such as retrofitting. The green economy is also one of my key priorities for Skills Bootcamps under the Mayor’s Academies Hubs.

Ethnic Diversity in Business – LCCI report (2)

Hina Bokhari: What will you do to meet the calls for action in the report by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, “Ethnic Diversity in Business: Removing barriers impeding business success”?

The Mayor: I am supportive of the report’s calls for action, which relate predominantly to government and private sector institutions.
However, officers within my Economic Development Unit, as well as my Deputy Mayor for Business, engage frequently with LCCI and will discuss the report further with them to ascertain any areas where we can support impact.

Ethnic Diversity in Business – LCCI report (1)

Hina Bokhari: Do you support the conclusions and calls for action in the report by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, “Ethnic Diversity in Business: Removing barriers impeding business success”?

The Mayor: Yes I do. The report’s four key conclusions relate to (i) Better data collection to improve understanding of the ethnic minority led business landscape; (ii) elimination by banks of unnecessary hurdles in the path of ethnic minority owned businesses; (iii) addressing negative perceptions amongst ethnic business communities about taking on debt and improving trust in the availability of financial support through targeted campaigns and (iv) convening of a Government taskforce to boost the inclusion of ethnic minority-led businesses in public procurement.
The report’s findings mirror other reports carried out by the British Business Bank, Diversity UK, Extended Ventures, that tap into data to illuminate problems faced by entrepreneurs from diverse ethnic groups.
Programmes delivered by my officers in the areas of skills and employment, regeneration and business support focus on reducing barriers and creating opportunities for Londoners who are most disadvantaged.

Homes for Ukraine

Hina Bokhari: Are you aware of inconsistencies between local authorities in their approach to the Homes for Ukraine initiative? If so, what steps are you taking to support Councils in respect of the Homes for Ukraine initiative?

The Mayor: Our city has a duty of care to the people of Ukraine who have been displaced as a result of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of their country, a sovereign nation.
The Home for Ukraine Scheme requires London boroughs to deliver an unprecedented set of responsibilities. In doing so, individual boroughs have the choice of how to best to do this locally, for example, by commissioning civil society providers to work with Ukrainian families.
It is right that boroughs are best placed to know how to meet their duties based on local resources and infrastructure. At the same time, through the London Strategic Migration Partnership, my officers work closely with London Councils to assist boroughs and strengthen models of good practice among councils. In March 2022, we convened a ‘masterclass’ to share knowledge from the civil society sector with London boroughs on the opportunities and challenges associated with refugee hosting schemes.
My officers are also engaging with central government on resourcing so boroughs are equipped to meet the housing needs of Ukrainians when hosting arrangements come to an end.

Young Refugees and Asylum Seekers – homelessness

Hina Bokhari: What specific actions have you taken:
to prevent homelessness among 15-18 year old asylum seekers and refugees?


to support 15-18 year old asylum seekers and refugees who are at risk of becoming homeless?


to support homeless 15-18 year old asylum seekers and refugees?

The Mayor: I am extremely concerned about the risk of homelessness faced by asylum seeker and refugee households, which include many families with children.
The government is making efforts to create routes into longer-term accommodation for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, but schemes have faced several issues in delivering quickly and at scale. Although as Mayor I do not have statutory responsibility for homelessness, I have taken action to respond to this situation. I expanded my Right to Buy-Back programme to provide funding for councils purchasing properties for Afghan refugees. Through the London Strategic Migration Partnership, my officers have enabled the development of a protocol to effectively refer newly recognised refugees into housing options services.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility of care to unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children who are homeless. My officers are working to support our partners to ensure that the National Transfer Scheme enables boroughs to provide better quality of care for asylum-seeking children.

Adult Education – construction workers (1)

Hina Bokhari: How many retrofitters do you intend to train per year from 2023 to 2030?

The Mayor: Supporting people to gain skills needed in the green economy is one of my long-term priorities. Through London’s Adult Education Budget (AEB) funding, I have asked providers to respond and pivot delivery towards meeting the skills needs of priority sectors, including in sectors supporting our response to the Climate Emergency.
I have introduced a number of initiatives which encourage the training of retrofitters,such as my Green Academy, part of the wider Academies Programme (MAP).MAP funds staffing resource to build partnerships between training providers and employers to ensure employers can address skills shortages,including retrofit, and Londoners can upskill and secure sustainable employment.Over 4,650 Londoners will participate in new training and education over the lifetime of the green hubs which are funded till March 2024. In addition Skills Bootcamps for Londoners,which starts delivery this month, provides short courses to addresslive skills gaps in key sectors, including green skills.

Refugee support

Hina Bokhari: What confidence do you have in the current systems to help refugees and asylum seekers, other than those from Ukraine, to find a home in London, and what support have you provided to this end?

The Mayor: I am committed to working with boroughs and other partners to ensure those who seek sanctuary in London can access suitable homes. Thousands of people seeking asylum, many of whom are evacuees from Afghanistan, are still unacceptably housed in hotels by the Home Office.
I am acutely aware of the Government’s different systems for refugees and people seeking asylum based on their arrival and nationality. A comprehensive strategy, and change of approach, is required to meet the housing needs of all.
Through the London Strategic Migration Partnership, my officers provide guidance and support to London boroughs and community sponsorship groups as they seek to secure housing for refugees.
My Right to Buy back scheme will bring 1,500 homes back into public ownership; 39 Afghan families have already benefited from this. I have also developed the Migrant Londoners Hub, a central source of information, including for people seeking asylum and refugees looking for information on London’s housing systems.

Notting Hill Carnival (3)

Susan Hall: How many arrests were made at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival broken down by minor offence type?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) advises me that during Notting Hill Carnival 2022, there were a total number of 209 arrests. The table below shows these broken down by offence type. This data is correct as of Tuesday 30th August 2022 and is subject to change when further data is available.
Offence Type
Number of Arrests
Assault Police
29
Robbery
1
Criminal Damage
5
Drink/Drug Drive
6
Theft Person
2
Public Order
26
Offensive Weapon / Points & Blades
33
Drugs
36
Sexual Offences
10
Grievous bodily harm
8
Actual bodily harm / common assault
12
Psychoactive drugs
10
Other
31
Total Arrests
209

Notting Hill Carnival (1)

Susan Hall: How many Met officers were taken from each of the London boroughs to police the Notting Hill Carnival, broken down by Borough?

The Mayor: A total of 11,525 officers were deployed across the 4 day period.
The number of officers from each Basic Command Unit (BCU) varied across each day. The table below shows the number of officers from each BCU for each of the 4 days.
Date (NHC22)
AS
AW
CE
CN
EA
NA
NE
NW
SE
SN
SW
WA
GrandTotal
27/08/2022
26
114
52
32
34
39
40
32
35
28
37
45
514
28/08/2022
464
630
324
378
355
353
374
449
433
411
430
493
5094
29/08/2022
501
654
382
391
430
379
416
486
490
449
484
531
5593
30/08/2022
24
32
24
55
21
4
26
33
20
26
25
34
324
Grand Total
1015
1430
782
856
840
775
856
1000
978
914
976
1103
11525

Self-services digital kiosks

Susan Hall: How many self-services digital kiosks does the Met have?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) currently has 120 fixed site and 24 mobile digital kiosks.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (6)

Emma Best: In light of electricity infrastructure issues impacting West London development, what other utility infrastructure issues across London do you believe are likely to impact development over the coming years?

The Mayor: From speaking to electricity network operators, we understand that this specific issue is significant but isolated, caused in part by data centre proliferation in West London, and is not likely to occur elsewhere in London.
My team is also working with Ofgem and network operators to ensure their plans take my 2030 net zero target for London into account.
I am concerned about drainage infrastructure: investment is not keeping pace with need, and sewer capacity is already insufficient. More capacity and new approaches to water management are needed to cope with more intense rainfall and high-density development. Nature-based approaches on the surface, alongside below-ground system upgrades, are key. Highways teams and utilities should also be delivering sustainable drainage as part of their programmes.
Similarly, water supply upgrades are needed including new strategic water resources, alongside mains upgrades and replacement to increase reliability and flexibility, without placing unreasonable costs onto customers.

London's Economy (1)

Tony Devenish: The Financial Times has identified that “monthly in-person spending in Zone 1 — the transport area that covers the most central part of the city — was down by 9.7 per cent” compared with May 2019. What are you doing as Mayor to encourage more spending in Zone 1?

The Mayor: The two biggest factors that have reduced footfall and spend in Transport for London’s Zone 1 are fewer international tourists and the impact of hybrid working. However, the extent to which areas have recovered visitor spending varies widely across neighbourhoods, with some doing considerably better than others.
The Let’s Do London domestic tourism campaign was launched last year; to attract day trippers and UK overnight stays to the capital. The campaign brought £81m additional spend to London and 330,000 visitors with a Return on Investment ratio of 18:1. This year, my £9m international Let’s Do London tourism campaign is encouraging tourists from our key markets of the US, France and Germany to return.
I am now working with Central London Forward and six central London boroughs to publish an action plan this autumn to help the ‘Central Activities Zone’ broadly co-terminous with Zone 1 to recover and adapt. The plan will outline a range of actions for the GLA, boroughs and Government.

Data Centres and Energy Consumption

Leonie Cooper: It has been reported that by 2030 data centres across the globe will consume the same amount of power as the whole of Europe. How are you working with providers to reduce the consumption of energy in London’s data centres and make them more energy efficient?

The Mayor: As you highlight, data centres are very energy intensive, primarily due to extensive cooling requirements, and this can have major implications for the local electricity network. My officers closely review all new data centre planning applications and energy strategies and, where needed, work with the Distribution Network Operators flag any potentially large changes in energy demand.
All new buildings must follow London Plan policies, including achieving a minimum 35% improvement over the Part L national building regulations and following the cooling hierarchy to minimise active cooling, wherever possible.
London Plan policy also encourages data centres to explore supplying low carbon waste heat (from their cooling demand) to a new or existing heat network. These low carbon heat networks can then support the decarbonisation of local homes and businesses whilst also minimising demand on the local electricity network.

Bus cuts

Len Duvall: Has the Government provided an update on funding TfL that would stop the cuts to the buses being necessary?

The Mayor: I have written to Thames Water’s Chief Executive Officer regarding Thames Water’s preparedness for the current period of drought. I set out my concern that Thames Water were seriously underprepared for the conditions we are now experiencing, given that they introduced restrictions providing Londoners very limited advance notice.
I have set out my concerns to both Thames and Ofwat over several years that more must be done to make London’s water infrastructure more resilient and prepared for climate change and reiterated this to them last month. Specifically, I set out my disappointment that the Beckton desalination plant was offline precisely at the time it was designed to be active. Thames Water assert that the plant being offline will bring performance improvements in future, but I called on Thames to improve their preparedness and engagement with stakeholders about this and future droughts.

Adult Education Budget (4)

Neil Garratt: You have removed the three-year residency requirement for access to education services provided as part of the Adult Education Budget. What documents are required to access these services?

The Mayor: No additional documents are required for learners to access Adult Education Budget funded provision as a result of this local flexibility.
Documents usually checked by providers during enrolment of learners will include passports and various other residency eligibility documentation such as visas and/or Home Office correspondence or documentation. Sometimes spousal and family documentation is required if relevant (e.g. if the husband, wife, civil partner, child of an eligible learner is seeking to enrol on a course of learning).

Tree planting by year and borough

Zack Polanski: Could you provide figures on GLA-supported tree planting in London by year since 2016, including the number of trees planted, broken down by borough?

The Mayor: The number of trees planted by borough is provided in the attached table. Note that the numbers do not take account of size of tree (some programmes planted whips while others planted much larger street trees) or survival rates, for example the high tree planting number in Enfield reflects the large woodland creation project I supported in Enfield Chase. Figures across boroughs also vary due to the number of grant and tree pack applications. Boroughs’ own planting (i.e. that which was not supported by GLA funding) is not included.

The Mayor: MQ 2891 TABLE.pdf

Hospitality industry and rising costs

Marina Ahmad: Pubs, restaurants and nightclubs face closure because of the 300% rise in average annual bills, due to in increases in energy and food prices, or cuts to opening hours at the very least. This means that thousands of jobs could be at risk as businesses that survived the Covid crisis are struggling with debts averaging £40,000. What support have you provided the hospitality industry with:
a) chronic challenges in the supply chain;
b) labour shortages; and
c) interest rates and inflation?

The Mayor: The crisis faced by the hospitality industry is one of extreme concern; discussed at the London Covid Business Forum on 6 September and only partially mitigated by the government’s subsequent announcement of a six-month cap on business energy bills. With businesses still waiting to hear the detail, uncertainty, and the threat of closures and job losses remain.
These issues must of course be addressed by the Government in the first instance. I do not possess responsibility for policy in the three areas you identify; although I have previously proposed that government devolve greater powers to London in relation to skills and the labour market.
In the meantime, I am engaging with businesses and industry bodies to better understand the support package that the industry requires. I have already called on the Government to immediately freeze business energy prices for up to two years, increase small business rates relief and decrease business VAT ratesto help support businesses through the current crises.

Extreme Weather and London (5)

Leonie Cooper: How are you working with Thames Water to improve London’s resilience to extreme weathers such as drought?

The Mayor: Thames Water is responsible for supplying most of London’s water. During this current drought my officers are in weekly contact with Thames Water, who areproviding updates on reservoir levels, demand management and the action being taken. The GLA advocates for Londoners’ needs during this period.
Alongside this, I recently wrote to Thames Water’s Chief Executive highlighting the need for greater preparedness. I emphasised the need to accelerate leakage reduction, invest in London’s water supply resilience and reduce water consumption further.
My officers are part of the Water Resources in the Southeast Group which is developing a regional plan for water resources. Officers responded to a recent consultation on this, to ensure the right options are brought forward for London. My Deputy Mayor Shirley Rodrigues also chairs the Water Advisory Group, where she raises these issues.

Free School Meals

Marina Ahmad: What responses have you had to your lobbying for the extension of the provision of healthy free school meals to all primary school children during term-time with free meal vouchers available for those in most need during the school holidays?

The Mayor: There has been much support across London and beyond for Universal Free School Meals (UIFSM), with organisations such as Sustain and The Food Foundation rallying together with us to urgently call on Government to ensure all primary school children have a healthy, nutritious meal and eliminate the stigma associated with being eligible for FSM. These calls are overwhelmingly supported by the public.
Currently, to be eligible for FSM, a household on universal credit must earn less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits). This means that many children from working families in poverty aren’t entitled to FSM, despite being unable to meet the costs.
The recent Government change in policy to permanently extend FSM eligibility to children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), subject to maximum income, is welcome but it does not go far enough to alleviate the rising levels of food insecurity.

Major cultural and sporting events

Marina Ahmad: What major cultural and sporting events is the Mayor bidding for London to host?

The Mayor: As I’m sure the Assembly Member can understand, some event bids need to remain confidential. However, there are a number of events that we are looking at that are already in the public domain including FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. We are working with England Hockey who are leading a bid across London and Wales. If successful, this bid would see two London stadiums staging matches, the Stoop and Tottenham.
In addition, World Rugby have awarded the Rugby World Cup 2025 (Women’s) to England and we look forward to working with the organisers to understand the opportunity to bring matches to London.
Finally, UK and Ireland have submitted a joint five nations expression of interest for UEFA EURO 2028 and we are working with the FA as they identify the venues in England that will be included in this bid.
London’s cultural offer is also playing a major role in attracting visitors back to the city. We continue to keep a watchful eye on cultural events of interest.

Extreme Weather and London (4)

Leonie Cooper: How are you working with Thames Water to improve London’s resilience to extreme weathers such as heatwaves?

The Mayor: As a result of climate change, London can expect to see hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. We are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, as seen this summer. Heatwaves and a sustained lack of rainfall are also causing drought risk to rise.
I have partnered with Thames Water to install a network of more than 100 drinking water fountains in busy areas of London, which helped Londoners stay hydrated during the recent heatwaves.
The answer to MQ 3246 sets out our engagement with Thames Water on long-term water planning, infrastructure resilience and the current drought.

Pocket Parks

Joanne McCartney: What are your future plans to encourage the creation of pocket parks in our city? How many pocket parks have you created in Enfield & Haringey?

The Mayor: Since 2016, I’ve invested over £20m in London’s green infrastructure, including £7m in community green space projects through my Greener City and Grow Back Greener Funds. Many of the funded projects have created or improved small local green spaces (pocket parks or community gardens).
I have supported 8 projects in Enfield and 16 in Haringey, including schemes that have transformed underused areas outside libraries and schools into new green spaces in Tottenham and Wood Green; created a new green link in Edmonton; and greened a school playground and created a new wetland nature trail in Palmers Green.
Applications for my £2m Grow Back Greener Fund 2022 are now open. The fund will prioritise projects to create and improve green spaces, such as pocket parks, in areas of the city where Londoners do not have access to green space within a 10-minute walk and are most vulnerable to climate change.

London Hospitals IT Systems Outages

Krupesh Hirani: The recent heatwave saw computer systems outages at two major London hospitals, leading to cancellations of operations and appointments. What impact has this had on London’s health inequalities, and how important is it that the Government properly invests in renewing London’s hospital infrastructure to avoid these situations from happening again?

The Mayor: The heatwaves we experienced this summer are one part of the bigger issue of climate change – the biggest global health threat we face today. Other challenges to our ageing hospital infrastructure, include flooding. The poorest communities in our city suffer the effects the most, only widening existing health inequalities. I work collaboratively with the NHS and other partners to improve multi-agency incident planning and response, data sharing and communications, so that they are prepared to respond to emergencies.
But Londoners deserve high quality health services in buildings that are appropriate for delivering 21st century healthcare.
Working with the wider health and care systems, the London Estates Delivery Unit has supported local progress on the initial individual projects in London that the Government has committed to funding – Whipps Cross, Epsom and St Helier and Hillingdon. The Government now urgently needs to step up the pace of the national programme and provide the necessary funding to ensure that our hospitals are rebuilt and re-equipped to the appropriate standard.

Access to Dentists in London

Krupesh Hirani: Three quarters of dentist practices in London are not accepting new patients due to staff shortages. What conversations is City Hall having with London’s NHS to find solutions to this crisis and how is your Health Inequalities Implementation Strategy addressing the lack of access to dental care?

The Mayor: I share your concern that many Londoners struggle to access dental services.
I understand NHS London has a recovery ‘roadmap’ for dental services following the pandemic, with additional resources made available nationally to fund patient access initiatives. I will continue to raise these issues with the NHS.
My Health Inequalities Strategy (HIS) recognises the importance of child oral health and calls on partners to increase access to dental care, particularly for communities least likely to be registered with, or regularly visit, a dentist. My work to improve child health will also have an impact on the oral health of the most disadvantaged communities in London, for example the water only schools programme, which supports young people to choose water over sugary drinks. My School Superzones scheme promotes a healthier environment to support children and families and limits their exposure to adverts for junk-foods. In addition, my Healthy Early Years London programme has resources to support children and families to learn about oral health.

Adult Education Budget (6)

Neil Garratt: Your press release on 15 July headed “Mayor announces major new measures that will help 400,000 more Londoners get the skills they need to get into jobs and out of poverty” states “£10m is being invested in London’s skills providers, helping address increasing costs faced by the FE workforce and ensuring lower skilled Londoners can continue to get the training they need to progress”. Isn’t this what funds from the Adult Education Budget should have been spent on anyway?

The Mayor: I wholeheartedly agree - this is exactly what the Adult Education Budget (AEB) is spent on. These announcements demonstrate how I am using the AEB to agilely respond to the needs of London’s economy, making the adult education system more accessible, impactful and locally relevant.
Rising costs and inflation is more acute in London. I am therefore reinvesting £10m of savings in London’s skills providers, to support their workforce, ensuring Londoners can continue to get the training they need to progress. I have been able to do this by raising the funding rates for AEB courses at Level 2 and below and reinvesting reclaimed funds.
The delegation of the AEB to London has made it possible to respond quickly to such localised issues, and is another example of the importance of giving Londoners the powers to shape their lives

Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme

Sem Moema: In which boroughs are the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme providing new housing? Please outline the proportion of homes ringfenced for young people aged 18-25 and for women.

The Mayor: My Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) is providing longer-term homes for rough sleepers in all London boroughs (other than the City of London). The programme is for rough sleepers across the board, including young people and women. However, we have funded some specific schemes for women and young people - eg six homes in LB Southwark and four in LB Hammersmith and Fulham earmarked for women. In addition, one scheme in West London is delivering 32 homes for people under the age of 35. Around a fifth of my Move On Programme, which is providing longer-term homes for both rough sleepers and survivors of domestic abuse, is earmarked for survivors of domestic abuse, the majority of whom are women.

Summer events (2)

Neil Garratt: Your press release titled “Mayor encourages Londoners to make the most of capital this summer” has stated “a poll by City Hall showed that 40 per cent of Londoners don’t know of ways to enjoy London for free”. Doesn’t this polling show that ‘Let’s Do London’ and your other campaigns to attract domestic tourism into the central activity zone has failed?

The Mayor: The Let’s Do London campaign, first launched in May 2021, has been London’s most successful domestic tourism campaign ever, attracting 330,000 additional visitors and generating £81m for London so far.
The previous phase of our Let's Do London campaign focused on attracting domestic and international tourists. The polling referenced in the press release refers to 40% of Londoners not knowing ways to enjoy London for free. The recently launched summer 2022 ‘Love London’ campaign phase therefore caters specifically to Londoners as they have not actively been targeted by the other Let’s do London campaign bursts.
This campaign has already garnered over 20,000 unique page views of the website, which hosts free and local activities for Londoners, and over 100,000 video views. It has active support from the tourism sector including Heart of London Business Alliance, North Bank BID and the London Tourism Recovery Board.

Summer events (1)

Neil Garratt: Your press release dated 28th July titled “Mayor encourages Londoners to make the most of capital this summer” provides some examples of free or discounted events in the capital that have been funded by the GLA. Can you please provide a breakdown of every venue that this press release relates to and the level of funding provided to each venue?

The Mayor: Please find a breakdown below of every venue and event that the press release relates to that was funded by the GLA, and the level of funding provided to each by the GLA. Please see the press release here: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-encourages-london...
A partnership with the Art Fund to run and promote a three-month discounted National Art Pass to encourage engagement with London’s museums and galleries (£40k).
The return of the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival (£650k)
An official UEFA ‘Fan Party’ in celebration of the Women’s EURO 2022 championship, featuring a packed programme of free activities, including an FA Disability Day, and a free screening of the final on Sunday (to be released alongside the GLA investment into the event in due course).
The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture Lewisham (£1.35m of funding to deliver a year-long programme of activities).
The Mayor’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm also presents London Unseen – a free season of trails and tours that celebrate the many incredible histories of the city (£70k).
Transport for London is helping Londoners to enjoy the city by teaming up with Official London Theatre’s annual Kids Week initiative to release thousands more ‘kids go free’ tickets for a range of top West End shows (no cost).
Throughout August, Kids Week gave children aged 17 and under the chance to see a London theatre show for free when accompanied by a full paying adult (no cost).

Ukrainian Refugees

Hina Bokhari: What support are you providing to local authorities to help Ukrainian refugees to access legal aid?

The Mayor: I am committed to taking every action available in my position as Mayor of London to support Ukrainians in London.My officers have been working closely with London Councils to assist boroughs as they provide holistic support to Ukrainian refugees.
During my mayoralty, I have invested almost £3 million in funding to support migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum in London, which includes a significant investment in immigration advice.This has been delivered through grant programmes and in collaboration with funders and civil society.
In March this year, I also provided £50,000 of grant funding to the Here for Good Ukrainian Advice Project to directly increase frontline immigration advice services supporting Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge.
I have called on the Government to reinstate legal aid for immigration cases, which would ensure that the legal aid needs of all Ukrainian nationals in the UK can better be met.

Refugee Organisations

Hina Bokhari: Since May 2021:
what meetings have you and the Deputy Mayors had with organisations supporting refugees and asylum seekers?


what issues were discussed in each of those meetings?

The Mayor: I am committed to working in partnership with statutory and civil society organisations to ensure refugees and people seeking asylum in London are welcomed and receive the support they need to thrive.
My Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, chairs the quarterly London Strategic Migration Partnership Board, which provides leadership on migration, asylum, and refugee issues. It includes senior representation from across local and central government, health sector, and civil society. Minutes can be found here.
This partnership enables us to plan for the future and strengthen co-ordination. For example, on 25th January 2022 my team convened many organisations representing and supporting Afghan refugees to discuss lessons learned from the start of the Afghan refugee crisis.
I have also had the privilege of visiting communities, volunteers and refugees themselves, such as on 7 September 2021 at the Lewisham Donation Hub, which supported Afghan arrivals, and on 2 March 2022 when I met the Ukrainian Ambassador and community members to offer support on behalf of all Londoners.

Health Academies Hubs

Krupesh Hirani: How many Londoners are your Health Academies Hubs currently supporting?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Academies Programme (MAP) is designed to help address skills shortages in sectors key to London’s recovery, including health, and to support Londoners most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic into good work. Each hub has specific targets including Londoners participating in training and education, Londoners into work experience placements and Londoners entering employment, apprenticeships, or paid work placements in the Academy sectors. Across the lifetime of the programme, over 930 Londoners will participate in new training and education as a result of health hub activities.

COVID-19 Booster Jab Uptake

Krupesh Hirani: It is still the case that less than half of all eligible Londoners have taken-up the COVID-19 booster jab. Will there be any renewed efforts that City Hall will be involved in to continue to address vaccine hesitancy?

The Mayor: The COVID vaccination rollout across London has been a great success, with more than 12.5million Londoners having had their first and second dose, and nearly 4.5million their booster. However, we recognise that too many Londoners have still not yet taken up the offer of the vaccine, including coming forward for their booster. Promoting COVID and flu vaccination is particularly urgent during the autumn and winter months.
I remain committed to working closely with partners, including the NHS, local authorities, UKHSA and OHID, businesses and communities to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme in London. Together we will continue to make effort to ensure that Londoners not only had access to the right information about the vaccine, but also practical information on where and how to get it.
As the winter vaccination campaign begins my team will be using all appropriate channels, from social media to our regular health community briefings, to share NHS information about the offer of the COVID and flu. This includes, having the booster vaccinations myself.

Monkeypox Vaccine (2)

Krupesh Hirani: How is City Hall working with London’s NHS to encourage the uptake of the Monkeypox vaccine?

The Mayor: I have been liaising with leaders in the NHS and UKHSA to monitor the monkeypox outbreak in London, to ensure that Londoners are aware of the infection risk, able to access information about monkeypox and understand how they can get a vaccine if they are eligible. This includes using my channels to get information directly to Londoners about the NHS’ monkeypox vaccination roll-out and repeatedly encouraging communities to take-up the offer when contacted. I am working closely with partners to support equitable uptake of the vaccine among London’s diverse population.
On 14 July, prior to the expansion of the vaccine roll-out, I also wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking for reassurances that sufficient vaccine supplies would be made available in London, as well as offering our city’s support to amplify government messages and public health campaigns on this important issue.

Monkeypox Vaccine (1)

Krupesh Hirani: With reports of the Monkeypox vaccine being in limited supply, are you concerned that London will not receive the share of doses that it needs?

The Mayor: Throughout the monkeypox outbreak, I have been in regular contact with UKHSA and the NHS, supporting efforts to accelerate the vaccination roll-out in London. To date, London has been the most affected region in the country, with the about 70% of monkeypox cases, and has therefore been prioritised for vaccination.
I remain in touch with UKHSA and the NHS who have reassured me that they are doing everything possible to keep communities who are highest risk protected, and to help contain the outbreak. In fact, two clinics in London have participated in a national pilot for the use of fractional dosing which may allow more people to be vaccinated faster.
Over 38,000 doses of vaccine have now been given nationally. Until the delivery of further doses in September, the NHS and local partners will continue to vaccinate in line with any residual supplies, and to ensure that those who are not already in touch with services know where and how to access vaccination. Sexual health services will keep a record of those eligible so that they can be invited forward for vaccination as soon as new supply becomes available.

London Business Hub Awareness

Hina Bokhari: According to the Federation of Small Businesses, awareness of the London Business Hub is still low amongst business owners. What actions are you taking to raise awareness and signpost small businesses to the hub?

The Mayor: Our offer from the London Business Hub has grown exponentially over recent years and we work hard to ensure that brand awareness continues to be a priority: communications channels include social media campaigns, newsletters, events and ensuring our stakeholders cascade messages down.
Since 2020, we have seen an almost 200% increase in the number of unique users and a 320% increase in the number of subscribers. We also now engage with over 290 stakeholders (including boroughs, business support agencies and membership organisations) informing them of our programmes and events on a monthly basis. Over 9000 businesses receive our monthly newsletter. These numbers continue to grow month by month.
In addition to this, a review of business support services across the GLA is now concluding; which will propose further measures to increase awareness and access of support to small businesses.
Of course, with over one million microbusinesses and SMEs in London, raising awareness will always be a significant challenge; which we will continue to strive to address.

Government Pilot Scheme of Prescribing Walking and Cycling

Krupesh Hirani: The Government has recently said that walking, wheeling, and cycling will be offered on prescription in a nationwide trial. Do you share my disappointment that London boroughs were excluded from the Government funded pilot of this initiative?

The Mayor: It is disappointing that London is not included in this Government funded pilot on social prescribing. However, as I committed to in my 2021 manifesto, I have directed Transport for London (TfL) and the GLA to work closely with the NHS in London to encourage more people to build healthier travel options into their daily lives. TfL, the GLA and the London Region’s Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) are exploring how to work in alignment with the NHS and the national ‘Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme’ which aims to support healthcare professionals to increase their knowledge and skills to promote physical activity to patients to prevent and manage ill health.
Although London boroughs will not be involved in the Government-funded pilot on social prescribing, I look forward to the pilot’s findings to see what we in London can learn from it.

London GPs and Energy Bill Discount Prescribing

Krupesh Hirani: Given your role on health inequalities, and with London’s GPs already facing unmanageable workloads, do you share my concerns that the Treasury’s plans for energy bill discounts to be prescribed are unworkable and will exclude Londoners who are not registered with a local surgery from access to health care?

The Mayor: I agree that increasing pressure on our hard-pressed GPs is not the answer to supporting Londoners through the current cost-of-living crisis. Health pathways cannot and should not be the only gateway for obtaining support. However, they can help to link people to assistance. For example, social prescribing, where GPs refer people to specialist link workers, is an important way to help Londoners access a wide range of support.
I have been funding link worker training to better enable them to provide social welfare and legal advice, debt advice, as well as resourcing a range of community-based partnerships to improve access to advice for Londoners.
My teams have also been promoting my Warmer Homes Advice Service to social prescribers/specialist link workers, to ensure that Londoners struggling to pay energy bills or to heat their home are aware of the support that City Hall can provide and how to access it.

Adult Education Budget Hospitality Sector

Hina Bokhari: What proportion of funding allocated to the Adult Education Budget (AEB) is being used to address the skills gap in the hospitality sector?

The Mayor: Unfortunately, AEB data and other official sources do not contain funding figures at qualification level and the Further Education and Skills sectors does not collect information on the industries and sectors that learners are employed in.
The GLA statistical release classifies qualifications by Sector Subject Area. In 2020/21, the latest full year published, around 2,000 Londoners enrolled in 3,100 qualifications in Hospitality and Catering (approximately 1 per cent of the AEB). These estimates could be used as a proxy noting that some learners taking qualifications in other Sector Subject Areas gain transferable skills and might end up contributing to key roles in the Hospitality Sector as well.
From this academic year, the GLA is using provider delivery plans to support providers to respond to London's priority sectors. I have also awarded funding to organisations to establish and deliver two hubs supporting Londoners into good work in the hospitality sectors.

Fuelling incineration in London

Zack Polanski: The operator of the Beddington waste incinerator is proposing to use diesel to burn waste to further increase the volumes burned there. Given the impact on Londoners’ health from diesel-fuelled vehicles, do you agree that it is unacceptable to have diesel used to burn waste?

The Mayor: I am aware that Sutton Council has approved a planning application from Viridor for a new diesel storage tank at the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Beddington. Sutton has released a statement confirming that ‘it does not involve or facilitate increases in the amount of waste that will be treated at the facility (which they oppose), and will not lead to more burning of waste at the site’.
I have been clear that London does not need any additional energy from waste (EfW) capacity to manage its non-recyclable waste. My focus is on ensuring that where facilities already exist, they only manage truly non-recyclable waste, maximise electricity generation, supply the waste heat created into a local heat network and operate with the best available techniques to reduce air pollution emissions.

Wapping Box Junctions

Unmesh Desai: Can you look into introducing box junctions in Wapping, specifically the junction between Glamis Road and The Highway, Garnet Street and The Highway, and Wapping Lane and The Highway?

The Mayor: I am pleased to say that Transport for London is in the process of initiating a scheme to investigate the feasibility of introducing yellow box junctions along The Highway, to help improve bus progression and road safety.

Hoarding and Fire Safety

Hina Bokhari: Given the prevalence of hoarding disorders and the greater risk to sufferers in the event of fire:
what specific training to firefighters is provided to deal with this?


if somebody has a hoarding disorder and is concerned about their building’s fire safety, will the LFB provide judgement-free advice?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) firefighters receive Home Fire Safety Visits training, the curriculum for which includes hoarding disorders. LFB’s Hoarding Policy (PN829) and its Safeguarding Policy (PN736), which references hoarding disorders, are also both covered in training.
LFB provides advice on various behaviours to reduce risk for people with hoarding disorders such as smoking habits and guidance for keeping homes clutter free. The need to do this without judgement, including advice for firefighters on use of language and appropriate actions, is specifically covered in the LFB Hoarding Policy. This links directly to LFB’s behavioural framework.
Firefighters use the Clutter Image Rating scale (CIR) and associated guidance to help decision making when considering the level of hoarding and this informs their next steps. A CIR score above a certain level will prompt a safeguarding referral to the local authority.

Summer events (4)

Neil Garratt: Your press release dated 28th July titled “Mayor encourages Londoners to make the most of capital this summer” announces a large package of funding for venues with no clarification as to where the funding is coming from. Can you please outline exactly which budget will be funding this summer campaign i.e. Let’s Do London budget, London and Partners’ wider budget or additional Mayoral funding?

The Mayor: The funding for the ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign is part of a £10m allocation included in the GLA’s budget and spending plans for financial year 2022-23 approved under MD2942 Promoting International Tourism (https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2942-promoting-international-tourism). This is split between an allocation of £9m to London & Partners to promote international and domestic tourism and an allocation of £1m for a supportive promotional campaign to Londoners and day trippers being delivered by the GLA.
The success of last year’s ‘Let’s Do London’ domestic campaign delivered £81m in spend and 330,000 overnight visitors to the capital. The campaign was expanded in May 2022 to continue encouraging people back to London. The latest phase of the campaign ‘Love London’ was launched in August 2022 to inspire Londoners and day-trippers to visit and reconnect with the capital following the devastating impact of COVID-19.

Summer events (3)

Neil Garratt: Can you please provide an itemised list of funding per venue as part of your ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign?

The Mayor: The success of last year’s ‘Let’s Do London’ domestic campaign delivered £81m in spend and 330,000 overnight visitors to the capital. As part of last year’s Let’s Do London activation programme, the following venues were funded to deliver tactical activities to drive footfall and spend back into central London: Barbican (£10k), Battersea Arts Centre (£240k), English National Opera (£2k), Historic Royal Palaces (£15k), Museum of Youth Culture (£2k), National Gallery (£10k), Royal Opera House (£13k), Royal Parks (£10k), Science Museum (£5k), Somerset House (£9k), Southbank Centre (£17k), St Martin-in-the-Field Church (£15k), and the Tate Modern (£2k).

The campaign was expanded in May 2022 to deliver to international, domestic, and local Londoner audiences. The campaign continued to encourage people back to the capital following the devastating impact of COVID-19 on London’s culture and tourism industries.
No individual venues have been funded via the expansion of the ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign.

London Olympics (1)

Neil Garratt: Please specify who is responsible for maintaining and managing each of the sporting venues used for the 2012 London Olympics within the Olympic Park Zone.

The Mayor: London Stadium, Copper Box Arena and London Aquatics Centre are owned and maintained by London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), with the day-to-day running of venues overseen by individual venue operators LS185 (for London Stadium) and Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). Lee Valley VeloPark and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre are owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and operated by GLL.
The first venue to open post-Games was the Copper Box Arena on July 27, 2013. The London Aquatics Centre opened on March 1, 2014, followed by ArcelorMittal Orbit on April 5. London Stadium hosted athletics in 2013 and 2015, as well as five Rugby World Cup matches that year. The Stadium opened permanently to the public in 2016 when concerts and athletics took centre stage in the summer before West Ham United started playing their home matches.

Adult Education Budget (2)

Neil Garratt: £1.38 million of the No Wrong Door programme has been allocated to hubs across London. Where will the rest of the £2.06 million be spent?

The Mayor: The remaining £2.06 million allocated to the No Wrong Door programme will be spent across the financial periods 2021/22 to 2024/25.
£1.38 million has been allocated to the implementation and delivery of four sub-regional integration hubs to facilitate the greater integration of employment and skills services across London, helping priority groups of Londoners access the support they need to access good work.
£290,000 has been allocated towards a No Wrong Door research, innovation and marketing programme. This involves understanding the experiences of practitioners, service providers and Londoners who face additional barriers to sustainable employment and designing innovative solutions.
£150,000 has been allocated to a pilot set-up fund, where we will fund communities and places to run No Wrong Door pilots, taking innovative approaches to support local residents into good work.
£100,000 has been allocated to an independent evaluation.
£140,000 has been allocated to management and administration costs.

Stagnant wages

Marina Ahmad: The Resolution Foundation found that many families have been unable to build up the savings needed to cope with growing prices this year, because of stagnant wages. In the 15 years leading up to the pandemic, the average income of working-age families grew by only 0.7% a year, which is far slower than in previous decades. How are you supporting Londoners whose wages are not keeping up rising prices?

The Mayor: Work should always pay enough for a decent standard of living, but soaring inflation is having a devastating impact on even those on moderate incomes.
First and foremost, I call on all London employers to pay the real Living Wage as a minimum, and to seek accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation. The new London Living Wage rate is being announced early this month, so that accredited employers can uplift pay sooner.
However, this crisis is about more than just pay. This year, I have invested an additional £3.7m in interventions that aim to directly address the impact of increase in the cost of living. This builds on a baseline of £1m for work on financial hardship. This includes work to raise awareness of people’s rights, fund social welfare legal advice, support for Londoners in fuel poverty and addressing food insecurity.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (8)

Emma Best: Was any work undertaken by the GLA's Chief Digital Officer on London’s energy infrastructure as a key strategic issue? What collaboration has taken place on this matter between the GLA and other public bodies?

The Mayor: My team—with leadership from my Chief Digital Officer—works closely with infrastructure providers on digital tools including the Infrastructure Mapping Application and the National Underground Asset Register. My team is also working on innovative ways to display electricity capacity information, available in the information pack (see Question 2022/2953).
These data sharing initiatives allow for collaboration and improve safety on site. My team works with the Department for Transport to ensure our digital tools are joined up.
My Chief Digital Officer has also met with data centre representatives, organised by Tech UK, to cover relevant issues including their relationship with the energy network.
Finally, my team is exploring how London’s demand side flexibility can support both local and national decarbonisation, by shifting future demand to times when carbon intensity is lowest, or to better match supply to demand. Collaboration is underway with the energy networks, public and private sector bodies.

Summer events (5)

Neil Garratt: When selecting venues to work with on this promotion, did you consider London’s many fantastic smaller attractions and those off the beaten track?

The Mayor: The campaign promotes a new a digital hub highlighting many of the unique things to love about life in the capital. It profiles events in various locations across the city like the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival, Open House Festival and London Borough of Culture in Lewisham. Within the ‘Love London’ campaign, a promotional film includes smaller attractions off the beaten track, for example a scene at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Our digital content partnership with Art Fund features museums and galleries of all sizes.
All London boroughs were invited to share their signature free summer events which were compiled in a list of local events to enjoy across London. The campaign also promotes a series of free art, film, unseen history, and nature trails and walks to further encourage Londoners to explore London off the beaten path.
All events are signposted from the campaign’s digital hub - https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/make-date-london.

Works at Holborn Gyratory (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: What specific actions have been taken during the month of August by (a) TfL and (b) Camden Council in relation to making Holborn Gyratory safe for cyclists?

The Mayor: Design work and traffic modelling has continued for proposed improvements to the High Holborn section of the gyratory, as outlined in my answer to Mayor’s Question 2022/1403. In August, Camden Council and Transport for London worked together to explore various traffic signalling strategies to understand the benefits and disbenefits of various signal timing combinations.

Strong Early Years London

Marina Ahmad: How many childcare providers has your Strong Early Years programme supported so far? How many children have benefitted from this programme?

The Mayor: Strong Early Years London (SEYL) achieved good levels of engagement. Between May 2021 and March 2022, it supported 1,344 early years providers, with its reach extending across all London boroughs. Some of these providers accessed multiple events or resources, and the online one-stop-shop for early years business support, created through SEYL, attracted over 1,780 unique page views.
Because SEYL focused on providing business support, data on the number of children indirectly benefitting was not collected. More insight on the programme's impact can be found in an independent report at www.london.gov.uk/early-years-business-support
Although the main activities delivered through SEYL have now ended, I have awarded additional funding to the Early Years Alliance, until November of this year, to improve the accessibility of the one-stop-shop and ensure its longer-term sustainability. It’s my intention that this continues to be a useful resource for the sector

West London electrical infrastructure issues (4)

Emma Best: Could you please provide details of any specific developments currently impacted by the electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London?

The Mayor: Due to commercial sensitivities, we cannot provide details of any specific developments currently impacted. However, my team will be issuing an update document which will provide a summary of the information gathered to date. This document is currently being drafted. Please also see response to Question 2022/2953 for the information document that is online now.

Works at Holborn Gyratory (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: What specific actions have been taken during the month of July by (a) TfL and (b) Camden Council in relation to making Holborn Gyratory safe for cyclists?

The Mayor: Further to the works summarised in my previous update 2022/1755, Transport for London’s contractor completed the installation and commissioning of the new traffic signals at the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road. This marked the completion of the scheme at this junction and brought the new southbound cycle gate on Southampton Row into operation.
Design work on High Holborn, in the vicinity of Procter Street, has continued through July.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (2)

Emma Best: Which specific areas are impacted by the electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London?

The Mayor: This document issued by my team and publicly available online outlines the specific locations with electricity capacity constraints. Within Greater London, there are three West London boroughs affected: Hounslow, Ealing and Hillingdon. These boroughs are served by the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN). The SSEN area also supplies other parts of the country, outside of the Greater London boundary.
The other areas of Greater London are served by UK Power Networks (UKPN) and through discussion with their team, we understand they do not foresee similar issues for the rest of London.
We are working with boroughs, electricity network operators and other stakeholders to support and encourage the use of Local Area Energy Planning, which should reduce the risk of similar problems arising again.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (1)

Emma Best: When and how did the GLA first become aware of electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London?

The Mayor: My team was alerted to the capacity constraints issue in West London in April 2022 by affordable housing partners that were receiving connection quotes with long lead times. They reached out directly to my Housing & Land team.

West London electrical capacity issues

Emma Best: What action are you taking to address the electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London, and when do you expect the issues to be resolved?

The Mayor: My team is working closely with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), National Grid Electricity Transmission Network (NGET) and National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) to enable short, medium and long-term solutions to the issue:
In the immediate term, SSEN and National Grid have recently determined that any development with electricity demand below 1 Megavolt Ampere (MVA) (typically 100-250 homes, depending on gas or electric heating)—or developments which can agree a phased build out at less than 1MVA a year—will be able to proceed without waiting for long upgrades to the transmission network, providing those developments can be accommodated on SSEN’s local distribution network, where there is still available capacity. This is a change in approach, agreed following conversations with my team and careful assessment of the technical situation by SSEN and National Grid. Given that most housing developments build out over time, SSEN believes this approach should enable the majority of housing to avoid the long timescales associated with transmission reinforcement.
SSEN is currently working through what this new approach means for housing projects which have already applied for connection and will be in touch with developers shortly. SSEN is also evaluating the data provided by my team to assess what this means for coming developments that have not yet applied for connection and will continue to work with my team and wider stakeholders to ensure that its network planning takes account of these developments. Crucially, in any cases where distribution reinforcement is needed, SSEN would anticipate reinforcement being completed within 18-36 months, as opposed to the longer timescales previously quoted for larger scale transmission works.
In the short term, SSEN is also re-assessing its connections queue with the aim of identifying unutilised capacity that could unlock projects further down the queue. These include housing projects funded via my Affordable Homes Programmes. SSEN is also exploring flexibility measures with NGET and the NGESO.
In the medium term, my team is working with SSEN and National Grid to ensure that sufficient electricity capacity will be available to residential projects over the next five to ten years. This might involve accelerating NGET’s transmission upgrade, releasing significant amounts of power to the affected areas.
My team is already engaging with Ofgem about regulatory solutions and the need to promote strategic investment and upgrade of the electricity network ahead of need. This is a long-term effort that will be key to ensuring that London is prepared to meet its Net Zero targets, noting my preferred pathway to Net Zero relies heavily on electrification of heating and vehicles. We have requested that BEIS establishes a task force specific to the issues in West London, where these larger concerns can also be raised.
I wrote to BEIS, DLUHC and Ofgem raising this issue and requesting a meeting in July. Since then, my team has had discussions with Government officers, covering: the scale of the issue from our perspective; potential solutions under consideration by SSEN, NGET and NGESO, their timing, and options to accelerate this.
I have asked Government to ensure SSEN and National Grid move quickly to implement solutions that can unlock development currently in the pipeline. These conversations are scheduled to continue, as SSEN and National Grid share more information on progress. My Deputy Mayors have discussed the issue with the Chief Executive of Ofgem and are seeking a meeting with the Minister of Housing.

LGBT+ Inclusive Football

Emma Best: Will you support the collective campaign with Stonewall, London FA and grassroots organisations to make sure that LGBT+ Londoners feel welcome during the World Cup in Qatar this year by taking in part in both the City Hall Event on the 26th October and Tournament on the 30th?

The Mayor: We have now received details of the events from the Assembly Member, and will respond to the invitations in the usual way.

Heat for people

Leonie Cooper: You have talked about a minimum heat requirement for people. Will you be introducing this for London Power?

The Mayor: I welcome the Government finally responding to our calls to freeze bills, but this should be funded by a windfall tax on the reported £170 billion profits of energy companies instead of through borrowing.
I have called for the introduction of a Lifeline Tariff to ensure the most vulnerable people receive a certain amount of free energy every day, to ensure their basic needs for warmth are met.
A Lifeline Tariff would require Government intervention across the whole industry to deliver and fund and would benefit all Londoners.

Food insecurity (3)

Marina Ahmad: In light of the cost of living crisis, what action are you taking to support Londoners experiencing food insecurity?

The Mayor: I am deeply concerned by the level of food insecurity in London, and the impact the continuing cost of living crisis will have on Londoners.
My Food Roots programme provides grants to food partnerships across London, to help the food aid sector to support Londoners in sustainable and dignified ways. This includes encouraging and enabling organisations to take a cash-first approach to help resolve the reasons for food insecurity. Officers are currently developing options for the next iteration of the programme, which is due to launch this autumn.
The root cause of food insecurity is having an income that’s too low to afford enough food. That’s why I’m continuing to put pressure on the Government to act on the cost of living crisis. I’m also investing £5 million in helping Londoners to access all their benefits and entitlements, including £2.3 million to increase advice capacity across London. This will enable 35,000 more Londoners to receive expert support to manage the worst of the crisis. My Cost of Living Hub also provides information to Londoners on low incomes about how to access financial support.

Food insecurity (2)

Marina Ahmad: How many children in London are likely to be at risk of food insecurity by the end of 2022?

The Mayor: Unfortunately, these specific data requested do not exist as the measurement of food insecurity is based on people’s current and recent experiences rather than their expectations of the future.
The Survey of Londoners measures the rate of food insecurity in London, for both adults and children, in line with USDA methodology. The second, and most recent, survey was in field during November 2021 – February 2022, and initial results show that 16% of adult Londoners were food insecure during this time. The full report of the survey results is due to be published on 30 September 2022 and will include the rate of food insecurity for children in London.
Although not directly comparable to data from the Survey of Londoners, GLA polling by YouGov may also give an indication of the rate of food insecurity in London in the future. In July, 72% of respondents caring for children under 18 in the household said they were most worried about being able to afford at least one type of basic essential over the next 12 months. (Basic essentials are defined as food, heating, lighting, housing, clothing and toiletries.) This includes 17% of respondents caring for children under 18 who were most concerned about being able to afford food.
In recent conversations, food bank organisations and others have told my officers that they expect to see extremely high levels of need this winter. The need for food banks is driven by people being unable to afford the essentials, and the worsening cost of living crisis is expected to pull even more people into financial hardship in the coming months. The Government must step in to provide more support to people experiencing, and at risk of, food insecurity.

Food insecurity (1)

Marina Ahmad: How many children in London are currently at risk of food insecurity as of September 2022?

The Mayor: The Survey of Londoners measures the rate of food insecurity in London, for both adults and children, in line with USDA methodology. The second, and most recent, survey was in field during November 2021 – February 2022, and initial results show that 16% of adult Londoners were food insecure during this time. The full report of the survey results is due to be published on 30 September 2022 and will include the rate of food insecurity for children in London.
Although not directly comparable to data from the Survey of Londoners, GLA polling by YouGov may also give an indication of the rate of food insecurity in London more recently. In July, 23% of respondents caring for children under 18 in the household indicated that they have regularly or occasionally had to buy less food or essentials than they needed, go without, or rely on outside support, in the last six months. This is nearly twice as many as for Londoners overall (12%). In addition, 24% of respondents caring for children under 18 in the household have constantly struggled to buy the food and essential items they needed in the last six months, compared to 17% of all Londoners.

ULEZ Expansion Effect on Small Businesses (1)

Hina Bokhari: With the rising ‘cost of doing business’, will you guarantee a scrappage scheme large enough to support small businesses to make the transition to greener vehicles, and will you allow more time for transition by small businesses if you go ahead with the ULEZ expansion?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is currently reviewing consultation responses and issues raised by stakeholders, including those representing small businesses. Further engagement has taken place including with business groups to further understand the impacts of these proposals and how any negative impacts could be mitigated.
TfL will then prepare a report that will include all the relevant information I need to make my decision, including any new mitigations or modifications that have been identified in response to issues raised. I expect this to be ready for my consideration before the end of the year.
Should I decide to progress with the proposals for a London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) following the public consultation, I am committed to implementing a large-scale and targeted vehicle scrappage scheme. It is important that any scrappage scheme is targeted at those who really need it, to make the most of the funding pot. Details of a new scheme, including the value of the fund and who can apply for it will be informed by the Integrated Impact Assessment, responses to the consultation and stakeholder engagement.

London Olympics (3)

Neil Garratt: Please provide the running costs for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by the LLDC and/or GLA between 12 August 2012 to date.

The Mayor: The first venue to open post-Games was the Copper Box Arena on July 27, 2013. The London Aquatics Centre opened on March 1, 2014, followed by ArcelorMittal Orbit on April 5. London Stadium hosted athletics in 2013 and 2015, as well as five Rugby World Cup matches that year. The Stadium opened permanently to the public in 2016 when concerts and athletics took centre stage in the summer before West Ham United started playing their home matches.
Information relating to the running costs for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by LLDC and GLA for the financial year 2013/14 can be found here (E20 Stadium – page 62, all other venues – page 74).
2014/15 can be found here (page 77)
2015/16 can be found here (page 86)
2016/17 can be found here (London Stadium – page 77, all other venues – page 89)
2017/18 can be found here (London Stadium – page 72, all other venues – page 85)
2018/19 can be found here (London Stadium – page 73, all other venues – page 86)
2019/20 can be found here (London Stadium – page 79, all other venues – page 93)
2020/21 can be found here (London Stadium – page 85, all other venues – page 98)
2021/22 (draft accounts) can be found here (London Stadium – page 77, all other venues – page 90)

London’s Green Hubs (1)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on the progress of the Mayor’s Academy Programme Green Hubs following their first quarter of activity.

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Academies Programme (MAP) is designed to help address skills shortages in sectors key to London’s recovery, including green, and to support Londoners most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic into good work.
The hubs reported on their first quarter of delivery in late July 2022. Officers are now following up with hubs in relation to data and qualitative information provided to ensure a full understanding of impact. In most instances recruitment of the hub coordinator has taken place and a good practice meeting to share learning and alignment of actions took place over the summer period.

London’s Green Hubs (2)

Leonie Cooper: Which skills sector shortages will be addressed through the five green skills hubs and green and digital skills hub? Please provide a breakdown of course places by shortage area.

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Academies Programme (MAP) funds coordination resource to help address skills shortages in sectors key to London’s recovery, including green, and to support Londoners most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic into good work.
There are five green hubs across the city focusing on roles in energy efficiency (retrofit, insulation, renewables), circular economy (waste and recycling), low carbon transport (electrical vehicles, charging stations) and green spaces and resilience. There is an additional Digital-Green hub which will include computer aided design, building information modelling and other smart technologies. The hubs builds collaboration between training providers and employers to address specific occupational shortages by developing new training, and updating existing delivery. Over the lifetime of the programme over 4,650 Londoners will participate in new training as a result of green hub activities.

Wandsworth one way system

Leonie Cooper: Following MQ 2021/4639 where you stated TfL are in discussions with Wandsworth Council on the Wandsworth one way system and that a business plan should have been sent to the Government for the one-way system in August. Did this happen and could you update me on the progress of the plan and what the Government have said so far (if anything)?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) continues to work with Wandsworth Council on drafting a robust business case to set out a clear case for change at the gyratory. This work is to ensure that all the benefits and impacts are accurately quantified. TfL and borough officers have identified the need for further modelling and economic benefit assessment work to fulfil the requirements of the DfT’s Major Roads Network programme, from which it is hoped to secure a large proportion of the required funding. As a result, the target date for submission of the business case has been moved to the end of the year.

Water Use

Leonie Cooper: Do you keep statistics on water use by borough?

The Mayor: Water consumption figures are maintained and reported by water companies for their service areas, which are geographically broader than boroughs.
Thames Water provides water to nearly 80% of London customers. It is divided into six water resource zones, of which London is one. I pushed for Thames Water to provide figures for London apart from the rest of the Thames Valley in their annual performance reporting, which they started to do from last year.
Figures from their 2021/22 report indicated that daily water consumption in London was 144.4 litres per capita, down from 152.2 litres per capita in 2020/21, but still higher than their target of 142.6 litres per capita. I am continuing to hold water companies to account to deliver greater water use efficiency through demand management and reducing leakage rates and major water mains bursts, in line with my Environment Strategy objectives. The London Plan also requires new developments to achieve daily water consumption of 105 litres or less per capita.

Heat Hubs (1)

Leonie Cooper: Will you be introducing Heat hubs in London over the coming winter for those that cannot heat their homes all day?

The Mayor: Londoners face the possibility of not being able to heat their homes or put food on the table with energy bills already at high levels even before most Londoners need to turn on their heating.
The GLA is working with London Councils on a coordinated approach to promoting ‘Heat Hubs’, community spaces where Londoners can go to keep warm and access other services and support. London Councils are leading on implementing this initiative through their London Environment Directors network and Chief Executives Committee. London Councils are contacting Boroughs to explore interest, as well as other cities with similar initiatives for learning best practice. TInsights from from my Cool Spaces initiative are also being shared.

Heat Hubs (2)

Leonie Cooper: Have you been in contact with Merton and Wandsworth councils to coordinate efforts on Heat hubs and produce a map that residents can access easily to find where they are situated?

The Mayor: Please see my response to MQ 2022/3256.

London Olympics (4)

Neil Garratt: On how many days have there been events for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by the LLDC and/or GLA between 12 August 2012 to date?

The Mayor: Since the Paralympic Games closed on September 9, 2012, there have been over 650 days of events held at London Stadium, Copper Box Arena and London Aquatics Centre - former Olympic and Paralympic venues which are owned by LLDC.
The first venue to open post-Games was the Copper Box Arena on July 27, 2013. The London Aquatics Centre opened on March 1, 2014, followed by ArcelorMittal Orbit on April 5. London Stadium hosted athletics in 2013 and 2015, as well as five Rugby World Cup matches that year. It held the World Athletic Championships in 2017 and hosted Major League Baseball, which returns to the Stadium next year as part of a new three-year deal.
Please note that this figure includes only major events held in venues and does not include smaller events such as swimming galas, local community events or private and corporate hires. This also does not include events which have taken place on the parklands.

Car Free Day

Hina Bokhari: With the new TfL funding recently secured, will you reconsider supporting Car Free events in London?

The Mayor: I am very supportive of Car Free events which help to improve air pollution and reduce car emissions and road danger by encouraging Londoners to leave their cars at home and cycle, walk and use public transport.
Transport for London’s (TfL) new funding settlement with Government means we can restore our Healthy Streets programme, making our roads safer, and more attractive for those walking and cycling. However, the support offered by Government has left an unfunded gap in TfL’s budget and difficult decisions remain to determine where funding should be invested. As a result, we will be unable to implement any large-scale Car Free events this year.
I will continue to offer support to boroughs who wish to hold car free events.

London Olympics (2)

Neil Garratt: Please provide a revenue breakdown for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by the LLDC and GLA between 12 August 2012 to date.

The Mayor: The first venue to open post-Games was the Copper Box Arena on July 27, 2013. The London Aquatics Centre opened on March 1, 2014, followed by ArcelorMittal Orbit on April 5. London Stadium hosted athletics in 2013 and 2015, as well as five Rugby World Cup matches that year. The Stadium opened permanently to the public in 2016 when concerts and athletics took centre stage in the summer before West Ham United started playing their home matches.
Information relating to the revenue for each former Olympic venue, owned and operated by LLDC and GLA for the financial year 2013/14 can be found here (E20 Stadium – page 62, all other venues – page 74).
2014/15 can be found here (page 77)
2015/16 can be found here (page 86)
2016/17 can be found here (London Stadium – page 77, all other venues – page 89)
2017/18 can be found here (London Stadium – page 72, all other venues – page 85)
2018/19 can be found here (London Stadium – page 73, all other venues – page 86)
2019/20 can be found here (London Stadium – page 79, all other venues – page 93)
2020/21 can be found here (London Stadium – page 85, all other venues – page 98)
2021/22 (draft accounts) can be found here (London Stadium – page 77, all other venues – page 90)

Description of Disabled Londoners for Data Purposes

Hina Bokhari: Do you accept that there was a shortcoming in the Survey of Londoners 2021/22, in that respondents could indicate whether they had a ‘physical condition’ or a ‘mental health condition’, or both, but not whether they had a disability not fitting these descriptions, such as neurodiversity?

The Mayor: Thank you for the follow up to question 2319 on data on disabled Londoners.
An objective of the survey was to provide data to support our understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, including groups with protected characteristics for whom we lack evidence from existing sources.
A significant number of characteristics about Londoners were collected. Where possible this was done in-line with the Government Statistical Service’s harmonised standards, as they improve the comparability and coherence of statistics. We followed the ‘Long lasting health conditions and illness harmonised standard’, to collect information on whether Londoners had a physical or mental health condition, or both. Increasing the number of questions on personal characteristics can appear intrusive, increases the burden on respondents and increases the risk of a lower survey response rate.
Therefore, when finalising the questionnaire, compromises had to be made on the characteristics which could be included. An ‘Impairment harmonised standard’ does exist but is under development; if the survey is repeated, this would be considered

London Olympics (8)

Neil Garratt: Is it your intention that a future London Olympic bid would be based on the same site as London 2012, or somewhere else?

The Mayor: It is too early to say if a future bid would use the same site as 2012 but it is something I’m keen to explore. Rather the building brand new stadium and infrastructure if we can reuse those developed for 2012 this would support my ambition of not just securing the event for London but delivering a greener and more sustainable games.

Small Businesses Late Payment Support

Hina Bokhari: With the Federation of Small Businesses estimating that around 80,000 London businesses could fold as a result of late payments, what pressure are you putting on larger businesses who are making late payments to small businesses?

The Mayor: The GLA leads by example, ensuring that the GLA group demonstrates good practice through its contracts. My Responsible Procurement Implementation Plan includes measures to address poor payment behaviour from our larger suppliers. To that effect the GLA group will be measuring the percentage of its suppliers paying over 95% of their invoices within 60 days and the number of suppliers that are signatories to the Prompt Payment Code.
The GLA group also measures its performance and has a commitment to pay 90% of its SME invoices within 10 days.

London Food Board’s Food Aid Sub-Group

Hina Bokhari: How many times has the London Food Board’s Food Aid Sub-Group met over the last 12 months, and what has it achieved during this period?

The Mayor: The Food Aid Sub-Group (FASG) has met six times since September 2021.
The FASG was established as a sub-group of the London Food Board, to support the monitoring of emerging issues within the food aid sector and improve information sharing and communication. In the last year, the FASG has discussed results from the Borough Food Insecurity Survey and recent experiences from the food aid networks represented at the group. The FASG has also given members the opportunity to feed into GLA programmes and strategic direction, update each other on their projects and coordinate their work outside the GLA, as well as work to improve borough council engagement and share best practice.

Period Poverty

Marina Ahmad: It has been welcome to see the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill come into force this summer. This means that anyone who needs period products to get them free of charge, schools, colleges and universities must make a range of period products available for free, in their toilets and the Scottish Government will have the power to make other public bodies provide period products for free. What action are you taking to support Londoners to access free period products?

The Mayor: I welcome the bill passed by the Scottish Government to help ensure anyone who needs period products can access them for free. And I welcome the government’s national period product scheme in England which allows schools and 16-19 organisations to ensure learners who need period products can get them for free. The new government should continue this scheme.
Further action is also needed. Like fuel poverty and food insecurity, period poverty is a manifestation of wider poverty, where people lack the resources to avoid the basic essentials. No-one should have to go without essential hygiene products because they can’t afford them.
I will continue to support efforts to extend the provision of free period products in our public spaces wherever I can. Mopac will continue to work with the Metropolitan Police Service’s detention unit to ensure all detainees are offered hygiene products whilst in custody.

Mental Health No Further Action

Susan Hall: For each year Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 how many times has No Further Action been used by the Met due to mental health issues?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service advises that it is not possible to provide this information.
The Home Office publish ‘Outcomes of Recorded Crime’ data on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
Although these published data includes “Outcome 12 - Prosecution prevented – suspect too ill (physical or mental health)” it is not possible to disaggregate this to identify specifically when this was related to mental ill health.

Drugs Commission and harm reduction

Caroline Russell: What do you hope to achieve with your Drugs Commission?

The Mayor: I have established a London Drug Commission to examine the effectiveness of our current drugs laws, with a particular focus on cannabis.
The purpose of the Commission is to assessthe effectiveness of our drugs laws as they relate to cannabis. It will hear from a wide range of experts and stakeholders and consider the latest evidence fromthe UK and across the globe on the nature of harms associated with cannabis use, how best to prevent those harms, the most effectivecriminal justice responses and the public health implications of different approaches to the control of cannabis.
I have appointed Lord Charlie Falconer QC to lead the Commission. He will shortly be announcing furtherdetails on the Commission.
The Institute for Global City Policing, based at University College London, has been appointed to gather and review existing evidence to help shape the Commission’s focus and lines of enquiry to pursue with witnesses.
When the Commission’s work is completed, it will make a series of recommendations that I anticipate will provide an evidence base on the complex issues surrounding cannabis use, to encourage an informed public debate on the issue.

Consequences of climate breakdown

Zack Polanski: Does London have enough resilience and preparedness to stop the loss of life and property to fires, floods and other extreme climate events during the climate emergency?

The Mayor: We’re seeing more frequent, extreme events due to climate change, and my team has been working to support Londoners - through, for example, our cool spaces network, the roundtable we established following last year's floods, and our work in July toleaflet45,000 basement properties to warn them of flooding danger and advise residents on how to prepare.We are now forming a pan-London group to oversee the development of London’s first citywide strategy to manage flash flooding.
The London Resilience Partnership is well prepared for extreme weather and regularly reviews procedures and updates the London Risk Register. Revised procedures after last summer’s flooding enabled swifter collective responses to this year’s weather events.
We are in regular contact with Thames Water and Ofwat, calling for them to invest in London’s water infrastructure and cut wasteful leakage. This has unlocked hundreds of millions of investment.
But as the Climate Change Committee continues to stress, more is needed to adapt the UK to climate change. Recent heatwaves show how ill-suited our buildings are to rising temperatures; yet there is still no legal requirement to fit homes, schools, hospitals or care homes for our changing climate. We need to install shading, better ventilation and reflective roofs, alongside the insulation needed to improve energy performance and keep us warm in winter.
The government must overhaul building regulations, strengthen planning policies and fund widespread building retrofit; starting with those most vulnerable, so we can adapt to the climate emergency.

Childcare provision (1)

Marina Ahmad: How many childcare providers are there currently in London? Can you break this down by age?

The Mayor: Data on the number of childcare providers is collected by Ofsted and available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-statistics
According to the latest data (31 March 2022), there are currently 9,569 providers (including 5,465 childminders) on the Early Years Register (EYR) in London.
The EYR is compulsory for providers that care for children in the early years age group.
There are an additional 5,796 providers in London registered on the Childcare Register (CR) (bringing the total to 15,365).
The Childcare register has two parts: the compulsory part for those caring for children aged 5 up to 8 years and the voluntary part for those caring for children aged 8 and over, most commonly registered nannies, or crèches.
The GLA does not have access to a breakdown of this data by age. Individual local authorities may be able to provide this for you.

Football Hate Crime (2)

Unmesh Desai: Does the Metropolitan Police routinely record whether a hate crime is linked to football when this happens via social media or digitally?

The Mayor: Yes. When the officer records the report, it will be flagged as “Football related”, in addition to having the relevant hate crime strand flag attached.

West Brompton London Overground Station Platform Facilities

Caroline Pidgeon: What does TfL plan to spend the Lillie Square Section 106 passenger capacity funding on at West Brompton Station, and will you consider enhanced facilities such as the installation of a staffed London Overground cabin, a passenger information point and more bin facilities?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is now engaged in pre-application discussions with the Earl’s Court Development Corporation (ECDC) regarding the new masterplan proposals for the Earl’s Court site. As part of its work on the masterplan, ECDC is undertaking station modelling for West Brompton, Earl’s Court and West Kensington stations. This will identify what is required to cater for the growth in demand at these locations. TfL will not implement improvements at these stations until it better understands the full impacts of the new masterplan as this will ensure that any money spent, including any funding from the Lillie Square Section 106, is spent in the most efficient way. It is anticipated that the outputs from the modelling will be completed by the end of this calendar year, after which officers will begin considering next steps for the project.

Affordable childcare

Marina Ahmad: The charity Pregnant then Screwed found two in five mothers work fewer hours than they would like because of high childcare costs, with a similar proportion (43%) saying that the cost of childcare has made them consider leaving their job. What do you consider to be affordable childcare in London? How many providers in London do you consider to be affordable?

The Mayor: It concerns me that London has some of the highest childcare costs in the country, alongside lower than average maternal employment rates.
As Mayor, I don’t have statutory powers in this area. However, through my recent London Early Years Campaign, I have supported parents to better understand the range of available childcare support offers.
I have consistently called on the government to increase investment in the early years sector, which is chronically underfunded and grappling with the effects of the pandemic, a workforce crisis and soaring costs. The government must also explore new ways to support families, for example by expanding the 30 hours free childcare for three and four-year-olds in England to parents who are seeking work or looking to retrain. Without wholesale action from the government, many providers will continue to struggle to make ends meet, and childcare costs will remain prohibitively high for many London families.

Energy costs (2)

Susan Hall: What immediate action is the GLA taking to reduce energy use due to the rising costs?

The Mayor: The new City Hall in the Royal Docks is smaller and newer with a more modern building management system than the previous City Hall. Therefore, our headquarters energy consumption decreased as soon as we vacated the old building.
When originally constructed City Hall was the first building to receive BREEAM Outstanding certification. The refurbishment to repurpose the building for the GLA has also retained BREEAM Outstanding certification. This ensured that only the most energy efficient systems and controls were installed during the refurbishment.

Recycling in Flats

Joanne McCartney: A recent ReLondon report, ‘Making recycling work for people in flats’ was found to be 'transformational' in improving recycling rates. What steps are being taken to share this work more widely across London to ensure that other Local Authorities, Housing Associations and Landlords take action to improve recycling from flats?

The Mayor: The ‘Making recycling work for people in flats 2.0’ report included an update to ReLondon’s Flats Recycling Package -a set of operational and communication guidelines which demonstrated an increase of 152% in the quantity of recycling and reduced contamination rates to 29% from purpose-built flats. It was developed with the Peabody Trust and Lambeth Council and was presented to the G15 (a group of major social landlords).
Through their Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs), authorities outline how they will cut waste and increase recycling. The authorities’ new RRPs, will include actions and targets for increasing recycling from flats, enabling all Londoners to recycle from home.My officers are working with ReLondon to encourage all boroughs to include roll out of the Flats Recycling Package in their RRPs. Through ReLondon I have provided free customisable communications assets and resources for all managing agents and have developed a cost benefit calculator to assist boroughs in planning their services which will be available for use in October.

Tourism in London

Marina Ahmad: How many tourists visited London this summer (2022)? Can you break this down by domestic and international tourists?

The Mayor: The information requested is not currently available. In terms of international visitors there is always a delay in the reporting of visits from the International Passenger Survey. Inaddition, the Great Britain Travel Survey which provides data on domestic tourists is not available, with only the data for 2021 anticipated in mid-October.
In the absence of this data, it is forecast that international visits to London will grow over 260% to 11.2 million arrivals in 2022. This growth equates to an additional 8,121,000 arrivals compared to 2021.
London is expected to receive 41.3% of total international visits to the UK as a whole in 2022. Our largest source markets for 2022 are predicted by Oxford Economics to be the United States (1,678,000 arrivals or 15% of total international arrivals), followed by France, Germany and Italy.

West London electricity infrastructure issues (9)

Emma Best: Which local authorities has the GLA written to regarding infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London? Would you please publish these letters?

The Mayor: We wrote to West London boroughs in May 2022, outlining the electricity capacity constraints in West London and urging them to consider the utilities implications in planning considerations. A template version of the letter sent to boroughs can be found online here.
The background document that was issued to boroughs and developers in July can be found online here.

West London electricity infrastructure issues (10)

Emma Best: Would you please publish the letter sent by the GLA to developers regarding electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London?

The Mayor: The document issued by my team to boroughs and developers is published online here, and a subsequent clarification is published here.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (11)

Emma Best: Which developers has the GLA written to regarding infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London?

The Mayor: Our information document was originally issued directly to 86 developers. We also asked for this document to be forwarded to any other developer contacts freely. It was circulated amongst London’s G15 housing associations, London Development Panel 2 and federation bodies such as the National Home Builder’s Federation and TechUK for distribution, as well as published on my website.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (12)

Emma Best: How many homes do you expect to be impacted by electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London, and over what period of time?

The Mayor: We are still receiving responses to our developer questionnaire, but to date have been made aware of about 50 different projects in the area that may be affected. The timelines of these projects vary, but completion dates range from 2023 to 2043. Some of the projects we have received information on may not be affected by this capacity issue. All questionnaires received to date have been issued to SSEN for detailed analysis.

West London electrical infrastructure issues (13)

Emma Best: Are any GLA-funded schemes impacted by electricity infrastructure issues affecting developments in West London? If so, would you please provide details of these?

The Mayor: We are aware of projects in receipt of Affordable Homes Programme funding that are affected by electricity capacity constraints in West London. My team raises the issue regularly with investment partners that are bringing forward, or are intending to bring forward, projects in the affected areas. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, it would not be appropriate for us to release details about particular projects. We are working with investment partners, energy network operators and central Government to help find mitigations to allow affected projects to continue.

Cost of school uniforms

Marina Ahmad: Many parents struggle with the cost of school uniforms, and will especially during this cost of living crisis. How can parents in London be best supported to obtain the school uniform their children require and what conversations have you had with London’s local authorities on this issue?

The Mayor: I am keenly aware of the costs facing parents and uphold the position that school uniforms should not be a barrier to accessing education.
Statutory guidance provides a range of cost considerations for schools, e.g. provision of second-hand uniforms and keeping the use of branded items to a minimum. Local Authorities are best placed to oversee the implementation of these measures and to provide support to parents.
My Cost-of-Living Hub, as part of the Robust Safety Net Mission, co-led with partners including London boroughs is helping Londoners access their financial entitlements.
I am also providing £2.3m funding to increase the capacity of advice services for Londoners who need face-to-face assistance to claim the support they are entitled. I have repeatedly called on the government to introduce universal free school meals for all primary school children and will continue to work with partners to ensure parents are better supported.

Launders Lane Fires

Keith Prince: What actions are you taking with the LFB to find a long-term solution to the recurring fires at Launders Lane?

The Mayor: The ongoing fires at Launders Lane are an important issue and one that I agree needs a long-term solution. This has unfortunately been going on for many years now and presents a risk not just to the local community but to the firefighters who are regularly called out to attend fires there.
London Fire Brigade has been called out to Launders Lane over 100 times this year already. In many cases, these have been false alarms because the landfill site can appear to be alight when it isn’t. At other times when there is a fire, firefighters may have to remain on site for a longer period of time to prevent it from spreading. This is not only a drain on resources but creates a risk to operational crews.
Unfortunately, the Brigade are unable to force the removal of the waste from the site as they do not have responsibility for enforcement. I am aware that the local authority, Havering Council, and the Environment Agency have been working together to get a better understanding of the impacts of the fires at the site and look at possible solutions.
I understand that Imperial College is now collecting data on air quality around the site to catalogue the impacts of the fires on the surrounding area. This is a positive step and I am hopeful that, if it does reveal a risk to residents, that this will help drive the changes needed.
While responsibility for the site sits with Havering Council, my team is open to working with all of the parties involved to try and find a suitable long-term solution at Launders Lane. It is in the interests of all of us to address the ongoing problems with the site to ease the burden on local residents and firefighters.

Launders Lane LFB Callouts

Keith Prince: How many times have the London Fire Brigade been called to Launders Lane since 2016? Please can you also give a breakdown of how much this cost the LFB per call out.

The Mayor: Table 1, attached, details the number of different types of incident attended by the London Fire Brigade in Launders Lane.
There is no additional direct cost of attending incidents however, the total notional cost of attendance at these incidents, based on the number of pumps attending, is set out in table 2, attachedbelow. This notional cost is based on the Brigade's hourly charge per pumping appliance in attendance at chargeable special service incidents.
The notional per hour cost for each financial year is available in teh attached table 3.

The Mayor: 3075 Table 1.docx


  3075 Table 2.docx


  3075 Table 3.docx

Launders Lane Fires - Meetings

Keith Prince: Who have you met with during your Mayoralty, how many times and when, in relation to finding a solution to the long-running fire-risks at Launders Lane?

The Mayor: Responsibility for the Launders Lane site sits with the local authority, not with the Greater London Authority (GLA). I would welcome discussions with my officers and Havering Council and the Environment Agency to look at where the GLA might be able to provide support to help reach a long term solution.
I am also in regular contact with the London Fire Commissioner and I am aware of the impacts that the site has on Brigade resources. It is in everyone’s interests to resolve the problems with the site and I would welcome further discussions to look at how all interested parties can work together on this important issue.

Launders Lane Health Issues

Keith Prince: What actions are you taking to support Londoners facing health issues due to the fires at Launders Lane?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to MQ2022/2961.

Lessons from wildfires this summer (1)

Zack Polanski: London this summer saw wildfires on an unprecedented scale, including the loss of several homes in Wennington. What lessons have you learned from these fires, and what actions are you now taking to reduce the risk of wildfires to Londoners and their homes and businesses?

The Mayor: Following the major incident declared by London Fire Brigade (LFB) on 19 July, a Major Incident review process was launched to establish what lessons could be learned to support preparations and response at future incidents. LFB has already begun initial information gathering and station meetings and officer group meetings have taken place. This was primarily to capture learning that could quickly be implemented while the extreme weather continued through summer, and that learning has been applied. An example of this is in the consideration of meteorological events as part of LFB’s advance workforce planning, arrangements for the recall of operational staff from training if required and improved welfare arrangements for crews working in arduous conditions
The Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety wrote to Chief Executives of London Councils on 15 July ahead of the heatwave to ask for their co-operation in discouraging the use of disposable BBQs and managing their open spaces effectively. This was followed by another letter on 20 July requesting further support. LFB also distributed fire safety messaging through their digital channels about risks in hot weather and ways to mitigate them. The risk of wildfires has now significantly reduced with the end of the hot weather and LFB will focus on identifying and implementing learning from the incidents over the summer.

Disposable e-cigarette recycling

Zack Polanski: Given that Londoners spend more on vaping than residents in any other city in the country, the incorrect disposal of e-cigarettes is potentially contributing an additional burden of electrical waste. What are you doing to address this issue?

The Mayor: E-cigarettes or ‘vapes’ are classed as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) once disposed of. Incorrect disposal of any waste material, including WEEE, can result in contamination of the waste or recycling stream and is one of the most common issues London’s local authorities face, affecting budgets, recycling performance and quality of recyclate. Through ReLondon, I have provided resources to boroughs to help tackle contamination including a contamination toolkit, communications assets and case studies.
Londoners can usually recycle WEEE at their local household waste recycling centre which can be located on the London Recycles website. To improve access to WEEE recycling, the ReLondon Flats Recycling Package included WEEE waste bins for small electricals in communal bin stores which resulted in a 52% reduction in target small electricals in residual waste. My officers are working with ReLondon to encourage all boroughs to include roll out of the Flats Recycling Package in their RRPs.

Independent review into 2021 flooding

Zack Polanski: The independent London Flood Review has now been completed and published (https://londonfloodreview.co.uk/). What response do you have to the review, and what actions are you taking and calling on others to take?

The Mayor: The Thames Water London Flooding – Independent Review (londonfloodreview.co.uk) published this Summer, makes recommendations to Thames Water and other bodies for national and London wide actions.
Following the floods in July 2021 I convened a roundtable of relevant partners and those with legal responsibility for flood management includng London Councils, TfL, the London Fire Brigade, Thames Water, Affinity Water, SES Water and the Environment Agency. London does not have a strategic city-wide plan for surface water flooding and no organisation with legal responsibility at the city level for implementing one. As a result of the roundtable the GLA and partners are establishing a permanent multi-agency group to deliver a Strategic London wide surface water plan which should ensure London and Londoners are better prepared and protected from the worst impacts of flooding. This body will be working to ensure that improvements are made to surface water flood management.

Lessons from wildfires this summer (2)

Zack Polanski: London this summer saw wildfires on an unprecedented scale and could have seen a damaging chain of events if either the 40 degree heat had lasted longer or if it had immediately been followed by heavy rain. Given that London is now seeing dangers that may not have been expected at this stage of climate change, what review of climate risks to London are you undertaking?

The Mayor: Air quality monitoring in London is mainly the responsibility of the boroughs, supplemented by project specific monitoring by TfL and others. For example, London City Airport is required to help monitor air quality in Newham.
Four reference quality monitoring stations are installed in close proximity to City Hall, including at Hoola Tower. Results from key monitors are provided in the attached table.
In addition to these, both the London Borough of Newham and TfL have diffusion tubes in the area around City Hall. Details of the Newham diffusion tubes can be found in their Annual Status reports (https://www.newham.gov.uk/downloads/file/4812/newham-asr-2021). TfL diffusion tubes are part of the Silvertown Tunnel project and, when the data is available, it will be published on the Silvertown tunnel website: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/silvertown-tunnel).

Drought in London

Zack Polanski: London is now facing a long-term drought. What actions have you taken within the GLA group of organisations to use less water, and what strategic actions are you taking to reduce London’s water use?

The Mayor: The GLA Group is taking action to use water more efficiently across buildings and assets. For example a 60,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank beneath City Hall provides an alternative water supply to serve irrigation and toilet-flushing.The building incorporates water efficient fixtures and fittings, with WCs utilising the rainwater harvesting system, to contribute to 50% reduction of potable consumption. TfL collects rainwater at several sites, including West Ham Bus Garage, and is identifying the potential for further cost-effective measures to reduce drought risk following a recent, in-depth climate risk assessment. TfL has also integrated water efficiency into the framework used for design of new commercial developments.
I have supported communications to Londoners to use water wisely during this drought and continue to urge water companies to reduce leakages and mains bursts. My London Plan includes policies promoting the need for water metering and efficiency, including requirements for new developments to minimise water usage and I have put pressure on Thames Water and Ofwat to increase the investment in London’s ageing water infrastructure.

Fuel Poverty Partnership

Leonie Cooper: Your Fuel Poverty Partnership met in May. Given the current situation, how regularly do they anticipate meeting during the rest of 2023 and into 2024?

The Mayor: The full Fuel Poverty Partnership will meet again in October and will meet in full three times per year. Additionally, four task and finish groups have been established, supported by National Energy Action, to take forward action plans in these areas: 1) the immediate cost-of-living crisis; 2) the private rented sector; 3) the health impacts of cold homes; and 4) a just decarbonisation of heat.
These sub-groups are comprised of and convened by members of the Partnership, and all have met over the summer to develop actions to bring back to the Partnership. These include bringing together NHS leaders across London on tackling the health impacts of cold homes, and actions to improve private rented sector enforcement.

Children’s Commissioner’s report (1)

Tony Devenish: Are you aware of the Children’s Commissioner’s Part 1 ‘Family Review’ report, if so, what implications do you think it will have for families in London?

The Mayor: I welcome the Children's Commissioner's report, which makes a helpful contribution to understanding families and the challenges they face.
The report shows that London is performing comparatively well in several areas; for example, take up of first checks as part of the Healthy Child Programme. This is a testament to the work that stretched public health teams and the wider health and care sector continue to do as we recover from the pandemic.
However, there are areas in which Londoners compare less favourably with the rest of the country. For example, disadvantaged families in London continue to be behind in terms of taking up their funded early education entitlements. That's why I am pleased to see the Government campaign promoting early years entitlements, with London leading the way with my London Early Years Campaign, supporting parents of under 5s to understand the various childcare offers available to them.

Children’s Commissioner’s report (2)

Tony Devenish: Do you think the Children’s Commissioner’s report will have any implications on any Mayoral policies, particularly those relating to health inequalities?

The Mayor: I welcome this report and am pleased that it focused on hearing from families directly. I look forward to the second part which will include findings from ‘The Big Summer Survey’.
Public health evidence is clear that inequalities start from the early years and that challenges are often multi-generational. We know that the first 1,000 days are crucial to child development and set the pattern for the rest of their lives.
My aim is that every London child has a healthy start in life, and I am committed to a life-course approach through my Health Inequalities Strategy. This includes leading on a regional approach to reducing health inequalities in children through my Healthy Schools and Healthy Early Years London Programmes; expanding School Superzones, Water Only Schools and building on the successful rollout of Youth Mental Health First Aid training and expanding ULEZ to tackle toxic air pollution.

Retrofit Accelerator Homes (3)

Leonie Cooper: How many of London’s homes are eligible for support through the Retrofit Accelerator Homes scheme? Does the funding provided to enable retrofit of London’s leaky homes match the need?

The Mayor: My Retrofit Accelerator-Homes (RA-H) is a technical advice and support programme which helps social housing providers to deliver whole-house retrofits. It does not provide direct capital funding but has supported social housing providers in designing and entering into contracts to retrofit over 1,800 homes.
Programmes such as RA-H are supporting Londoners to retrofit their homes. However, for London to achieve net zero by 2030 we need a faster scale-up. Over 200,000 homes need to be retrofitted each year to meet this target.
The funding currently available to support home retrofit in London does not match the need. Meeting my Accelerated Green Pathway would require a £73bn investment in our buildings (both domestic and non-domestic) over the decade. More support for retrofit is needed from national government. The GLA is also working to support the deployment of private capital into schemes that help bodies, including social housing providers, to decarbonise.

Retrofit Accelerator Homes (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many homes has the Retrofit Accelerator Homes Fund helped retrofit to make them warm, affordable and ultra-low carbon? Please provide a borough-by-borough breakdown.

The Mayor: My Retrofit Accelerator-Homes (RA-H) provides technical advice and support to help social housing providers deliver whole house retrofits. It does not provide any capital funding – see 2022/3224.
RA-H has focussed on supporting eight social housing providers; the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Ealing, Enfield, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth and Sutton, to contract and design retrofit schemes. This has included procurement, site surveys, securing planning approval and significant supply chain development.
These eight boroughs have been supported through RA-H to enter into contracts with building firms to deliver over 1,800 whole house retrofits by February 2024.
Delivery of all 1,800 contracted retrofits depends on the social housing providers securing further budget and approvals at a time when material costs are rising significantly.

N15 Extension to Queens Hospital, Romford

Elly Baker: What work has been done to assess the viability of extending the N15 route to Queens Hospital, Romford, to make public transport more accessible for those working unsocial shifts?

The Mayor: Queen’s Hospital is served by routes 193, 496, 498 and N128. These day routes run during early mornings and late evenings and are running when most shifts start and finish. Route N128 currently serves Queen’s Hospital throughout the night and only generates around five trips per night to and from the hospital. It provides the same connections between Romford and Becontree Heath that would be achieved by rerouting or extending the N15. Extending route N15 would create a circuitous route around Romford that is unlikely to be attractive to customers and would require an extra vehicle to run it.
Alternatively, rerouting the N15 to match the N128 would leave South Street and the surrounding housing without a night route. More passengers board and alight on South Street on route N15 than board and alight at Queen’s Hospital on the N128. This would indicate more passengers would be adversely affected by rerouting the N15 than would benefit.
Therefore, Transport for London is not considering rerouting the N15 at this time.

Launders Lane – Waste from Olympic Site

Keith Prince: Can you please confirm where the waste from the Olympic site in Stratford was transported to and was any of it taken to Arnolds Field, in Launders Lane, Rainham Essex.

The Mayor: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) oversaw the demolition of over 215 buildings at the Olympic Park site in Stratford, alongside a number of walls, bridges and roads, plusextensive works to the landscape.
When the Enabling Works contracts for the Park remediation and demolition programme were awarded, a target was set for 90 per cent of waste materials to be re-used or recycled. This target was exceeded, with the programme achieving a 98.5% re-use and recycling rate.
Those materials which could not be re-used or recycled were transferred to various landfill sites. Information on specific storage locations was held by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), before transferring to the National Archives in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) when the ODA was dissolved in March 2014. While some limited ODA planning data is held by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC),the majority of ODA information, including that on waste storage, is now held by national government.

Impact of the cost of living crisis on businesses

Marina Ahmad: Inflation is predicted to continue increasing to 18% in January and Londoners will see yet another energy cap rise in January on top of the extortionate rise in October. How can Londoners, businesses and public institutions be best supported during this winter’s cost of living crisis?

The Mayor: It’s right that the government hasfrozen energy bills for households for two years, but they must do the same for businesses - asix month freeze is not enough. This support should be funded from a windfall tax on energy companies, alongside a Lifeline Tariff to ensure the most vulnerable people receive a basic amount of free energy every day.
SMEs need certainty to plan ahead. Many businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors have already started making tough decisions about cutting jobs and closing down, and they urgently need more detail about the Government’s plans to support them beyond March next year. Given the scale of the crisis, small business rates relief thresholds must also be adjusted so that more businesses in London can benefit from them.
The government must secure a commitment from energy suppliers for no disconnections of households or businesses, or forced installation of prepayment meters this winter. It must also raise the income threshold so that more households are able to benefit from grant programmes, such as the Energy Company Obligation and Sustainable Warmth. Direct measures are also needed to support over 400,000 Londoners who face uncapped bill as part of communal heating systems.
More widely, the government must reaffirm the commitment to uprate benefits in line with inflation, and provide free school meals for all primary school children. And London should havedevolved powers to freeze rents in the private sector, so tenants can save £3,000 over the next two years.

Retrofit Accelerator Homes (1)

Leonie Cooper: Will the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) provide the same level of funding to the Retrofit Accelerator Home scheme that the European Regional Development Fund did?

The Mayor: The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) currently provides 50 per cent match funding to my Retrofit Accelerator Homes programme, and to my Local Energy and Workplaces Accelerators. This funding will come to an end in mid 2023.
London will receive less UKSPF funding from UK government than it did from the EU under ERDF. If funding for retrofit activity becomes available via a competitive call, the GLA - alongside other eligible organisations – may bid for the funding, but there is no guarantee of success.
More detail on the UKSPF bidding process and timeline is expected in the coming weeks. I will do all I can to draw in the funding needed to help cut the cost of living and carbon emissions for Londoners.

Warmer Homes Advice Service (3)

Leonie Cooper: How are you ensuring that all eligible Londoners, particularly the digitally excluded, are aware and have the tools to contact the Warmer Homes Advice Service before October?

The Mayor: My Warmer Homes Advice Service providers all have freephone advice lines. They work with a network of over 300 referral partners across London, such as community organisations, the NHS, and social landlords, to reach vulnerable Londoners. In-person events are held in communities, and the providers work with partners such as Age UK that specifically engage the digitally excluded.

Fire Safety – residents’ concerns

Hina Bokhari: What standards do you require developers to meet:
in telling residents how to raise concerns over fire safety in refurbished or renovated properties, and


in investigating and responding to such concerns?

The Mayor: The responsible person for the building should have arrangements in place to receive concerns about necessary repairs or defects, including any relating to fire safety, and to have mechanisms in place to respond to those.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 contains a requirement for the responsible person to have arrangements in place for the effective, planning, control, monitoring and review of general fire precautions. London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) fire safety inspectors would consider that as part of their review of the maintenance regime for the premises to ensure the arrangements are working in practice. If it is clear during inspection that arrangements are not in place to receive concerns from residents, LFB would be able to take enforcement action.

Fire Safety – private developers

Hina Bokhari: Are you satisfied that private developers are subject to sufficient independent oversight, including on fire safety, when renovating buildings?

The Mayor: More should be done by Government to ensure there is adequate oversight of building work across the built environment. The Building Safety Regulator and the new fire safety regime will only apply to ‘in scope’ buildings and as such the potential exists to end up with a two-tier system. It is critical that all buildings achieve a good standard of fire safety provision and that appropriate independent competent parties are involved in the development of new and renovated buildings to ensure they are built safely.
London Fire Brigade continues to push for better standards of fire safety design in buildings they are consulted on through the planning process, however, there is not a requirement for the Brigade’s feedback to be incorporated into the final design.

Seaside and Country Homes Scheme and the Right to Buy

Hina Bokhari: Why do Seaside and Country Homes tenants not have the Right to Buy?

The Mayor: Seaside & Country Homes tenants do not currently have the Right to Buy because their landlord is a housing association not a council. Should the Right to Buy be extended to tenants of housing associations, SCH properties may be exempt on grounds of them being suitable for occupation by older people.

Empty High-Rise Tower Blocks for LFB Training Exercises

Hina Bokhari: Will you assist the LFB in procuring high-rise buildings for training exercises, given that the current approach of liaising with individual local authorities is inefficient and time-consuming for LFB?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade sources available vacant high-rise premises through Borough Commanders reaching out to their local contacts. These premises have been used for the practical delivery of the new high-rise training package through large scale exercises. LFB currently has access to a building in Brent which has enabled them to continue delivering the training for firefighters.

Fire Safety in Balfron Tower

Hina Bokhari: Are you aware of concerns over fire safety in the renovated Balfron Tower, including windows that cannot be opened and floors that would easily fill with smoke?

The Mayor: The ongoing refurbishment of Balfron Tower is currently under the oversight of the Health and Safety Executive until it is ready to be re-occupied by residents. London Fire Brigade (LFB) is aware of concerns that have been raised about the work undertaken in the building and has been in contact with the relevant parties to keep them updated on the Brigade’s proposed approach for when responsibility for the site changes. The local LFB Fire Safety team are in contact with the Responsible Person for Balfron Tower and will be conducting a full Fire Safety Audit once the building is ready for reoccupation.

Cost of Living Crisis - support for businesses

Joanne McCartney: Massive increases in energy costs will mean that many businesses (especially SMEs) will struggle to survive. What advice and support are you able to offer to them, and what urgent steps are needed from Government to ensure that London’s SMEs survive?

The Mayor: To ensure survival of London’s SMEs, the Government should urgently implement a two-year energy price cap for businesses, mirroring the arrangements proposed for households. The proposed six-month cap on prices is insufficient, and details remain unclear at this point. The upper threshold for Small Business Rates Relief should also be increased.
In terms of advice and support that I am providing, the London Business Hub includes practical guides on how businesses can manage cash flow and rising costs. It also includes resources created by other relevant stakeholders such as Ofgem, Carbon Trust and banks.

Support for Disabled People’s Groups (2)

Krupesh Hirani: Please list all funding that is available or has been provided over the past five years for disabled people’s groups in Brent.

The Mayor: My work to support Deaf and Disabled Person’s Organisations (DDPOs) has, in the main, taken a pan-London focus and we have worked with Inclusion London - a DDPO infrastructure organisation for London – to engage with DDPOs from across the city.
Through my Civil Society Roots pilot programme Inclusion London received two-year grant funding to develop support for their sector.
A regular DDPO forum is chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice and there is also engagement through the members of my expert Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group.

Support for Disabled People’s Groups (1)

Krupesh Hirani: Please list all funding that is available or has been provided over the past five years for disabled people’s groups in Harrow.

The Mayor: My work to support Deaf and Disabled Person’s Organisations (DDPOs) has, in the main, taken a pan-London focus and we have worked with Inclusion London - a DDPO infrastructure organisation for London – to engage with DDPOs from across the city.
Through my Civil Society Roots pilot programme Inclusion London received two-year grant funding to develop support for their sector.
A regular DDPO forum is chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice and there is also engagement through the members of my expert Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group.

Mental Health (2)

Unmesh Desai: How many days were lost in the Metropolitan Police service due to staff suffering from mental health issues? Can I have this data for the past four years?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) working days lost due to mental health.
Employee Types
FY18/19
FY19/20
FY20/21
FY21/22
Staff
13,293
20,472
17,345
27,553
Officers
68,283
81,718
64,464
78,859
Total
81,576
102,191
81,809
106,412
Whilst COVID 19 has clearly impacted on the data for 20/21, there is further work being conducted by the MPS to understand the specific elements driving the increase, particularly for police staff and any additional steps required to support staff.

Claddag High Court Challenge

Hina Bokhari: Do you support the Leaseholder Disability Action Group, Claddag, over its legal challenge to the Government for failing to implement Grenfell Inquiry recommendations on personal emergency evacuation plans (‘PEEPs’) for disabled people?

The Mayor: I am disappointed at government’s ongoing refusal to implement PEEPs. Disabled residents in Grenfell Tower, of which 41 per cent died, had no plan of what to do in an emergency. That is why the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 report recommended that PEEPs should be implemented. I firmly support the provision of PEEPs in all buildings covered by the Fire Safety Order and have called for central funding so that the cost of PEEPs do not fall on the residents they are meant to protect.
I support Claddag over its legal challenge. It is a shame that they have had to crowdfund to take this legal action in an attempt to push government to do what it should have done in the first place. My officers liaised with Claddag and other organisations in the formulation of my Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation response. The response can be found here.

Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3)

Krupesh Hirani: What are you and TfL doing to ensure a safe and continuous protected cycle space is provided during events in Green Park and environs? A constituent complains that CS3 is closed during such events, leaving him unable to safely cycle.

The Mayor: My Walking and Cycling Commissioner has initiated a working group with Transport for London, The Royal Parks, Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police Service to learn lesson from the Queens Jubilee event build. Security on ceremonial events and safety around event infrastructure builds are two key reasons for the closure of the Cycle Superhighway (CS3). The working group is looking to minimise the need for closures during such events, and where that’s not possible look at providing an alternative route.

Volunteer Police Cadets

Tony Devenish: How many Volunteer Police Cadets have joined the Met as Degree Apprentices since September 2021?

The Mayor: Since Sept 2021, 34 Volunteer Police Cadets have joined the Metropolitan Police Service through the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship programme.

Maps for onward journeys from stations on foot

Siân Berry: Could you provide details of how Transport for London (TfL) currently provides maps and other information at its stations in order to guide people on making onward journeys on foot?

The Mayor: All stations have directional signage which, at station exits, give general guidance to local points of interest. Stations also contain ‘Continuing Your Journey’ (CYJ) posters which are located in station ticket halls and provide a street map of the station’s surrounding area. They provide an isochrone circle to give an indication of walking time and contain street finder and landmark finder indices. They also feature a QR code that links to the ‘Nearby’ function on the TfL website which provides a map showing live transport information such as arrivals at local bus stops and Cycle Hire availability at local docking stations.
Exit guides appear in stations with multiple exits. They contain a map of the area surrounding the station, place the location of the exits within it, and also offer guidance as to which exit to use for various local points of interest.
Legible London mapping totems can be found on the pavement near the exits of some stations. Legible London mapping totems are free-standing wayfinding products found across London. Additionally, Cycle Hire docking stations all feature Legible London maps which are very similar to Legible London mapping totems.
All of the aforementioned mapping products use Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Legible London mapping system to ensure clear, consistent wayfinding. Examples of these can be found in the included attachments.
To encourage more walking journeys in central London, TfL helped fund the Footways network. This network, available as a paper map and a digital product, has been designed to connect major places with appealing and accessible streets. The places include mainline train stations, popular destinations and green spaces. It prompts Londoners and visitors to choose walking as the most enjoyable, efficient and healthy option.
TfL also provides data to third party mapping providers, including Google, Apple and City Mapper, to improve journey planning for Londoners.

The Mayor: 2925 attachment 1.docx


  2925 attachment 2.pdf


  2925 attachment 3.pdf

Monitoring air pollution at City Hall

Siân Berry: Have you installed any air pollution monitoring equipment or diffusion tubes around the estate of our new City Hall? If so, could you provide details of all the data gathered since this work began, for each pollutant monitored?

The Mayor: Air quality monitoring in London is mainly the responsibility of the boroughs, supplemented by project specific monitoring by TfL and others. For example, London City Airport is required to help monitor air quality in Newham.
Four reference quality monitoring stations are installed in close proximity to City Hall, including at Hoola Tower. Results from key monitors are provided in the attached table.
In addition to these, both the London Borough of Newham and TfL have diffusion tubes in the area around City Hall. Details of the Newham diffusion tubes can be found in their Annual Status reports (https://www.newham.gov.uk/downloads/file/4812/newham-asr-2021). TfL diffusion tubes are part of the Silvertown Tunnel project and, when the data is available, it will be published on the Silvertown tunnel website: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/silvertown-tunnel).

The Mayor: MQ 2924 Monitoring air pollution at City Hall.xlsx

Drinking water fountains

Siân Berry: In your background statement to the Final Draft Consolidated budget for 2022-23, you outline: “regeneration expenditure of £0.629 billion which includes… Environment programmes, such as Warmer Homes and drinking fountains.” Could you update me on plans for distributing these funds to support new drinking fountains and set out how councils, groups and individuals can apply for funding?

The Mayor: To help Londoners ditch single-use plastic bottles and reduce plastic waste, I partnered with Thames Water to install a network of 110 drinking fountains in busy areas across the capital. I’m delighted that the programme was successfully completed this summer, achieving my London Environment Strategy and Manifesto commitments, as well as helping people to refill on the go. They have become much-loved additions to our public spaces, stations and busy areas of the capital.
I have also installed 20 drinking fountains in London schools to increase the number of water-only schools. Of the £0.628 bn in the 2022-23 budget, £480k was for completing the main fountains programme and delivering the schools programme. I plan to install 20 more fountains in schools this year and have invited schools to express their interest. They can do so by the end of September by contacting their borough’s lead on healthy schools or by emailing [emailprotected]

Good Growth By Design – countering racism in the built environment

Siân Berry: Your Good Growth By Design Forward Plan, published in May 2022, emphasises the importance of an: “inclusive recovery from a pandemic that has highlighted inequalities in the capital and the need to counter racism and other forms of prejudice in the built environment.” Given the ongoing disproportionate impact of demolition on displacing Londoners from African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and other minority ethnic backgrounds, how will you improve your estate redevelopment policies to ensure that this aspect of racism in the built environment is addressed?

The Mayor: In 2016, I promised to “require that estate regeneration only takes place where there is resident support, based on full and transparent consultation, and that demolition is only permitted where it does not result in a loss of social housing, or where all other options have been exhausted, with full rights to return for displaced tenants and a fair deal for leaseholders.” This commitment stood to benefit Londoners from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are more likely to live in social housing. I am proud of two bold policies I’ve introduced to implement it.
First, my London Plan stipulates demolition of affordable housing should only be permitted where it’s replaced by equivalent affordable housing floorspace. It also requires that, where social rent tenants are returning to replacement homes, these must be social rented.
Second, my ballot requirement for GLA funding for strategic estate regeneration projects involving demolition gives residents a decisive say on plans for their estates. This obliges landlords to ensure plans reflects residents’ needs.

Heathrow air pollution monitoring

Zack Polanski: Drawing on the work of the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory 2019 (LAEI), what conclusions do you currently draw about the causes of peaks in local air pollution around Heathrow, and what updates to monitoring do you consider necessary?

The Mayor: Sustrans rightly argues that new development should be located in sustainable locations, with walking and cycling infrastructure and walkable neighbourhoods integrated into planning policy.
The new London Plan integrateswalking and cycling into policy which is a critical part of achieving my target for 80 per cent of all journeys in London to be made by active, efficient and sustainable modes by 2041.
New developments are expected to be designed around people walking, cycling and using public transport and be located in locations which are highly accessible by sustainable modes, as well as provide financial contributions to transport improvements as appropriate.
The London Plan also sets out a range of other policies to achieve Good Growth, including how boroughs should embed the Healthy Streets Approach and identify transport schemes, including walking and cycling infrastructure, to underpin sustainable development across London.
Once adopted, the Walking, Cycling and Sustainable Transport London Plan Guidance will provide further guidance on how to protect and integrate public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure in development plans and proposals.

COP26 actions in London

Zack Polanski: We are now nearing the end of the year that Alok Sharma MP has been president of COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. What actions have you now taken in London since your attendance at the conference, and do you consider them to be enough to tackle the many problems with which climate change presents us all?

The Mayor: Since COP26 I have published analysis of how London could reach net zero by 2030 and set out my preferred Accelerated Green Pathway to achieve this target. I have taken a number of actions to reduce emissions in London including proposals to expand the ULEZ London-wide in 2023, announcing £90 million of funds to support environment projects through my green financing works and securing a £51m funding package to increase energy efficiency of homes in London.
I’ll continue to make progress towards reaching net zero by 2030 by leading a retrofit revolution, investing in green public transport and sustainable energy sources, minimising waste and mobilising the finance we need to support the transition to a low carbon economy. In addition, as part of the GLA group budget process I am requiring the GLA group to produce a climate budget, setting out actions they will take to contribute towards net zero.
However, it remains the case that the UK Government must urgently do more to set the country on a path to net zero and inspire other countries to follow suit in the lead up to COP27.

Undocumented sewers in London

Zack Polanski: The Channel 4 programme Dispatches aired an episode entitled Britain’s Water Scandal on 29 August 2022, showing that there are undocumented sewers in London, which combine rainfall and other sewage to direct it into watercourses. What action is the GLA taking to assist water companies in identifying these sewers and stopping them polluting water in London?

The Mayor: We need urgent action to protect our waterways.
My Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy met with Thames Water leadership in July and expressed concerns over management of stormwater overflows and the pollution they create. She also met with Thames 21 in July to support their work on River Ranger for people to identify sewers causing pollution.
The Tideway Tunnel to be delivered in 2025 will collect sewage so it can be treated before it reaches the Thames, will contribute to improvements in parts of central London. Though more action is needed to reduce flows into sewers and therefore the likelihood of overflows. My London Plan includes guidance to support the inclusion of Sustainable Drainage Systems and sustainable new sewerage infrastructure.
Thames Water’s consultation on their Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans ends on 22 September. I will be making representations to them to ensure they benefit the most sensitive rivers. Strong enforcement action is needed from water regulators.

End of COP26 UK presidency

Zack Polanski: We are now nearing the end of the year that Alok Sharma MP has been president of COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. What successes do you consider to have been achieved during this presidency for London and what advice would you offer to the incoming president of COP27 on the priorities for major cities?

The Mayor: Since COP26 I have set out ambitious plans for London to reach net zero by 2030 through leading a retrofit revolution, investing in green public transport and sustainable energy sources, minimising waste and mobilising the finance we need to support the transition to a low carbon economy.
Looking forward to COP27, I will support the COP President during COP27 to amplify the role and progress cities are making to reduce carbon emissions in line with 1.5°C goals which is key to national targets being met. I will also continue to make the case for governments to match the ambitious action of cities and give cities extra powers and investment to tackle climate change and to boost green economies.
COP27 has a major focus on financing resilience, particularly for the global south, and ensuring that commitments made by nations at COP26 are followed by real, meaningful action. And I will continue to press for these issues to be addressed.

Under 18s crime in Sutton

Neil Garratt: For each year of September 2020 to August 2021 and September 2021 to August 2022 how many crimes were committed by under 18s in Sutton, broken down by major crime types?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has provided the information in the attached spreadsheet – this provides data related to under 18-year-olds that have had proceedings against them broken down by category.
Please ensure that the notes page is read in conjunction with the information to aid in its interpretation.

The Mayor: 3038_Under 18s crime in Sutton.xlsx

Tamil Heritage Month

Nick Rogers: On 2nd December 2021 the London Assembly passed a unanimous motion calling on you to mark Tamil Heritage Month. Could you please outline what actions you have taken as a result of this request?

The Mayor: City Hall officials are discussing with communities as to how we can mark Tamil Heritage Month in an appropriate and fitting way.

Tasers (5)

Nick Rogers: Please detail the number of complaints regarding Met taser discharges received for each year Sep 15 to Aug 16, Sep 16 to Aug 17, Sep 17 to Aug 18, Sep 18 to Aug 19, Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22.

The Mayor: The table below provides the number of public complaint cases recorded against Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) police officers in which the use of taser is contained within the allegation summary and where the outcome is shown as one of the following: upheld, case to answer, the service provided was not acceptable, or substantiated.
The figures include:
Sep15-Aug16
Sep16-Aug17
Sep17-Aug18
Sep18-Aug19
Sep19-Aug20
Sep20-Aug21
Sep21-Aug22
Total Cases
3
5
7
5
7
17
7

Solar Together (1)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide a month-by-month breakdown of homes supported to move to renewable energy using the Solar Together programme, from its start to the present day.

The Mayor: Please refer to my answer to question 2022/3239.

Solar Together (2)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide a borough-by-borough and year-by-year breakdown of homes supported to move to renewable energy using the Solar Together programme, from its start to the present day.

The Mayor: My Solar Together London programme launched in 2018 and has so far supported over 2,300 homes to date to move to renewable energy.
Phases one to three are complete and the number of installations delivered through each of these phases is as follows; 290 installations in phase one (2018), 330 in phase two (2018/19), and 359 in phase three (2019/20).
Phases four and five are ongoing – and they were the first to operate on a pan-London basis. To date 1,234 installations have been delivered through phase four (2021/22) and 131 installations have been delivered through phase five (2022/23).
A borough by borough breakdown of phases one to four is provided in the attached spreadsheet, however this data is not yet available for phase five.

Bank cash dispenser theft

Tony Devenish: Are you aware that such crime is so out of control in London, that some banks turn off cash points in the evenings and weekends, penalising poorer Londoners and tourists who often depend on cash? What are you and the Met doing to target these criminals?

The Mayor: Neither My Office for Policing and Crime, my business team nor the Metropolitan Policehave been able to identify any specific intelligence that suggests that banks are turning their cash dispensers off due to concerns about crime.
The MPS Business Engagement team work closely with the Finance Sector, including businesses and banks to maximise crime prevention and collaborative working. A working group now meets regularly and the MPS have informed us that this issue has not been raised at any recent working groups, and they are unaware of banks ‘turning off’ ATMs overnight.
Robbery has risen by 10% in recent months and, recognising this, My Office for Policing and Crime have been liaising with the MPS to ensure that there is a robust response in place. Levels are howevere almost a third lower than they were before the pandemic. Robbery fell sharply during the pandemic and remains well below pre-pandemic levels despite the increases in recent months.
But we are not complacent. Robbery contributes to the levels of violence in London and is an extremely upsetting crime for the victim. In recognition of this, each BCU Local Intelligence Team is being tasked with creating a local robbery profile, to drive problem solving to arrest the recent increases.
If these teams find a pattern of offending around ATMs, they will engage with the business and communities affected in tackling this criminality. Officers are also undertaking proactive activity to tackle robbery including conducting high visibility policing in ‘hotpots’, while dedicated ward officers are working locally with partners to design out crime and offer crime prevention advice.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Renewable Energy Generation (1)

Leonie Cooper: How much renewable energy does MPS currently generate across its sites?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has 25 Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) systems installed across the estate with combined installed capacity of 715kWp – the peak level of output. These systems generated an estimated 487,020kWh in 2021/22. In addition to benefits associated with the reduced import of grid electricity, fifteen of these systems receive income from the government’s Feed In Tariff (FIT), totalling £77,611 in 2021/22.

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Renewable Energy Generation (2)

Leonie Cooper: What assessment has been made of the opportunities for the MPS to generate solar or other renewable power across its sites? How many sites were found to offer good opportunities and what amounts of energy were they anticipated to generate?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) currently has 25 Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) systems installed across its estate with an installed capacity of 715kWp, which generated an estimated 487,020kWh in 2021/22.
Where construction and major refurbishment works are undertaken, the MPS Mechanical Services standard requires that an energy strategy, optimised in terms of whole life costs (WLC), is developed. These energy strategies record opportunities for renewable energy generation, which are then included in the works, where viable and affordable. An assessment of options to further expand the use of solar PV across the MPS estate will be considered as part of the 2023-24 budget and capital strategy process and in the context of the Mayor’s commitment to making London Net Zero by 2030. Further details will be made public when they are available.

Email Consultancy

Neil Garratt: Can you please specify exactly what up to £25,000 of taxpayer money was used for in Decision ADD2551?

The Mayor: Talk London is an online community which supports the Mayor and GLA to engage Londoners with the development of our strategies, policies, and programmes.
All activity on Talk London is launched via email to members.
ADD2551 approved the expenditure of up to £25,000 for the services of an agency specialising in Mailchimp to support the Talk London team to transition to this email service provider (ESP). The contract was awarded to Nuuk for £12,909.
Nuuk supported the Talk London team with the strategy, planning, website integration, training, account set up and implementation of automated emails triggered by site actions. There are several benefits to transitioning to a new ESP, including making the process of sending emails more efficient through better segmentation and automation, more user-friendly email templates, and increased email and on-site engagement metrics. The Talk London team will now support other teams at the GLA to transition to Mailchimp.

The Civil Society Roots Programme

Neil Garratt: Can you please provide a breakdown of the amount of grant given to each recipient for the Civil Society Roots Programme and what each grant will be used for?

The Mayor: The pandemic has made more visible the deep inequalities that exist within London, and the vital role of communities in addressing these inequalities. For communities to best support Londoners and create a more equal city, we need to invest in their roots. Civil Society Roots 3 funding is for groups that are led by and for communities impacted by structural inequalities. This includes Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners, Deaf and Disabled Londoners, LGBTQ+ Londoners, Older Londoners and Women.
The 31 Recipients of the Civil Society Roots 3 Programme have been announced and full details of each grantee, the amounts granted and the work which will be funded can be found at the following link:
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/communities/civil-society/civil-society-roots

Affordable Homes Programme (1)

Neil Garratt: Could you please provide details of any schemes that were approved for funding under the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme, which have been granted a time extension to their funding milestones?
For each scheme, please provide the name of the scheme, borough, housing provider, the original deadline and the time extension.

The Mayor: Due to Covid-19 pandemic all projects under the AH 2016-2023 programme received a 1-year extension to start on site milestone to allow projects to start by March 2023. There are no other extensions to the start of site deadline set by central government for the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme, so all schemes will need to start before the end of March of 2023 in order to receive funding.

Affordable Homes Programme (2)

Neil Garratt: Could you please provide details of any schemes that were approved for funding under the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme, which have had funding withdrawn due to the provider being unable to meet a milestone deadline, despite the provider wishing to proceed?
For each scheme, please provide the name of the scheme, borough, housing provider and the original deadline.

The Mayor: There are various reasons why schemes may be withdrawn from the Affordable Homes Programme, including when they are not able to meet programme deadlines set by central government. This is particularly relevant for the 2016-23 Affordable Homes Programme, where the start on site deadline is the end of March 2023. It is not possible to provide scheme-by-scheme specifics as requested because of commercial sensitivities.

Solar Together Scheme and Quality Control

Krupesh Hirani: What follow up work takes place on the quality of works from successful Solar Together contractors and what measures are in place in the event of a dispute?

The Mayor: Solar Together London is run by delivery partner, iChoosr who are responsible for managing the installers and ensuring the quality of works.
To ensure high quality installations, a team of independent inspectors inspect one in every 25 installations.
If there is a dispute, customers can raise any issues with the installers or through the Solar Together helpdesk using the online form or helpdesk number which is available on weekdays.
All installers are required to be members of one of the consumer bodies Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) or the Home Insulation and Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme (HIES). In the event that the issue cannot be resolved by the installer or Solar Together customer team, it can be escalated through the dispute resolution process of RECC or HIES.
My team continues to work with iChoosr to improve reliability and deliver the high standards that customers and I expect.

LGBTQ+ Hate Crime in Harrow

Krupesh Hirani: How many LGBTQ+ hate crimes have taken place in Harrow in each of the last 5 years?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) publishes information related to hate crime, including transgender and sexual orientation, as part of their revised Crime dashboard. The information covers the period January 2017 to the most recently available (August 2022 at time of writing).

LGBTQ+ Hate Crime in Brent

Krupesh Hirani: How many LGBTQ+ hate crimes have taken place in Brent in each of the last 5 years?

The Mayor: Please see the response to MQ 2022/3324

LGBTQ+ Hate Crime in London Figures

Krupesh Hirani: How many LGBTQ+ hate crimes have taken place in London in each of the last 5 years?

The Mayor: Please see the response to MQ 2022/3324

LGBTQ+ Hate Crime in London

Krupesh Hirani: What is the Mayor doing to tackle LGBTQ+ hate crime in London?

The Mayor: Through MOPAC, I work closely with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and LGBT+ communities, including Galop, the leading London LGBT+ anti-violence charity, to develop our response to hate crime. Since becoming Mayor I have spent over £7million combatting hate crime, including that targeted at LGBT+ Londoners. This funding has provided training and upskilling of LGBT+ and other community organisations, supported civil society projects that challenge hate and intolerance, and ensures that victims of hate crime receive the kind of specialist support that best meets their needs.
In June, MOPAC convened a meeting of statutory and community partners in the three boroughs reporting the highest number of LGBT+ hate crimes, to explore how to keep LGBT+ Londoners safe from attack during the summer months and beyond. The MPS, Local Authority colleagues and community stakeholders were able to share initiatives which will help inform their own local plans to tackle LGBT+ hate crime. MOPAC will convene further meetings in these boroughs and across London, to ensure the benefits of such partnership working can be shared with all London’s LGBT+ communities.
However, as well as providing a robust response to hate crime, it’s equally important to send a message that we celebrate the diversity in our great city. I’ve been proud to stand alongside LGBT+ Londoners and will continue to work with all partners to ensure hatred and intolerance will not win.
My Shared Endeavour Fund provides grants to civil society projects which strengthen communities against intolerance and encourages more Londoners to stand up to hate. To date I have supported over 50 projects through this initiative with a further 22 projects expected this financial year. Many of these projects include content which tackle hateful views towards LGBTQ+ communities generally but also those extremist ideologies where anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is prevalent.

West London Orbital Scheme

Krupesh Hirani: Can you provide an update on the progress of the West London Orbital Scheme?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and the west London boroughs are continuing to work together to develop the case for the West London Orbital project. The most recent phase of technical feasibility work concluded earlier this year and showed that the project continues to have a strong case. Funding and finance options are still under consideration and TfL is not aware of any major concerns with the infrastructure or timetable that would prevent delivery.
Planning for the next phase of scheme development work is at an advanced stage but progress has been slowed by uncertainty over TfL’s funding position. TfL and the boroughs are discussing funding arrangements for taking this work forward and this is likely to be on the basis of boroughs agreeing to fund the majority of this next phase, with TfL contributing staff time. Formal approvals of the funding are currently being sought.

Thames Water flooding report

Tony Devenish: How specifically are you taking the recent Thames Water report into account in relation to a better multi-agency coordination for better quantifiable outcomes on flooding prevention?

The Mayor: Please see MQ 2022/2895

Extreme Weather and London (6)

Leonie Cooper: How are you working with Thames Water to improve London’s resilience to extreme weathers such as flash flooding?

The Mayor: See answer to MQ 2022/2895 (London Flooding – Independent Review) and MQ 2022/3138 (Thames Water flooding report), 2022/3245 (Extreme Weather and London (4)), 2022/3046 (Extreme Weather and London (5))

London Olympics (7)

Neil Garratt: Have you reached out to the Government on a potential Olympics bid for London?

The Mayor: Yes.Bidding for the world’s largest sporting events is a significant task and we are at the very start of that journey. My team has commissioned initial work to explore what a future Olympic and Paralympics bid could look like for London.
This work will look at the venues that were built for 2012 and help us understand how they could be reused for a future games and we are speaking to key UK stakeholders who would be involved in any future Olympic and Paralympics bids, including the government.
At this time, our engagement is with the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who have been tasked as part of the government’s levelling up white paper published earlier this year to look at the feasibility of a future Olympic and Paralympic bid.